Legend of Zelda: Interweaving Destinies
by ALinkToMaxHavok
Summary: In the kingdom of Hyrule, Zelda senses something is going very wrong. The King of Evil has something terrible planned. She knows there is a hero out there, along with some friends who possess very special traits. What are they? What will become of Hyrule?
1. Prologue

_**Author's Note**__  
Okay. This is the first fan fiction I've written since I was thirteen. I am now nineteen. I hope my spelling and grammar skills have improved since then, hehe. Anywho, I hope for this to be a long and super-awesome LoZ fic. ^_^ I know the beginning seems to take a while, but everything will be explained later on, I promise. _

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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Prologue

A young woman of only twenty-three years of age awakened from a painful slumber. She sat upright, feeling dazed and rather light-headed. Glancing at her surroundings, the woman realized she was in an unfamiliar place- a cold, dark chamber lit by only a single window high up on the stone wall.

She began to cry. The poor woman had no idea where she was, why she was kidnapped, or how she would get out of that filthy prison chamber. But on top of everything else, she was worried sick about her newborn son. His father had been killed in combat months before, which left her devastated, both because she missed her husband, and now that she was being held in a musty old cell against her will, the infant had no parents to care for him. The woman sobbed even harder.

A tall, muscular man with darkish skin opened the door, carrying half a loaf of bread and a bowl of what appeared to be soup. "Eat," said the eerie-looking man as he handed her the food.

She took it slowly, studying the stranger's face the best she could through the darkness. "You..." she choked. She recognized him. He was the man who ordered her to be kidnapped. "Why did you do this?" she whispered through her sobs. "What do you want with me...?"

The man let out a short, dark laugh, then left the room, bolting the door behind him.

* * *

_Twenty years later-_

"I know he's out there somewhere, Tari," said a beautiful woman in her mid twenties, gazing mindlessly at her reflection in the mirror, running a brush through her long, chestnut colored hair. "I can feel it. And it's stronger than any feeling I've ever felt..."

A slightly younger female, fidgeting with her own hair of light auburn, turned to look at the older girl. "Even more than your raw hatred for that huge, muscular guy? The one trying to gain the king's trust?"

The brown haired woman scowled. "My father would be a fool to trust that man." She turned to look at the red haired girl. "I _know_ he's up to something horrible. Tari... Do you remember that day, about eight years ago... when your father, among many other castle guards, was killed in battle?"

The young woman known as Tari sighed. "Very clearly," she replied, a solemn expression on her lightly freckled face. "I really miss him, Zel. He taught me everything I know. I mean... Mother taught me many things throughout the years... but Dad... He's the reason I'm the warrior I am today."

"And, as I recall," Princess Zelda began, "that bow of yours was once his as well."

"Yeah," Tari said softly, looking over to the side, where her bow rested on a small table against the wall of Zelda's bedroom. "But... what does that have to do with that man you hate?"

Zelda continued to brush her long, sleek hair. "I saw him that day," she said softly. "He was in charge of the whole army that attacked us. And I could swear that it was that very man who killed my mother on that day, too. I remember his face so clearly... It sometimes haunts my dreams... I just know he's going to start something terrible again."

Tari's green eyes widened for a split second. "You really think it was him?" she asked. "Why haven't you told your father?"

Zelda sighed. "He may be king, but I feel he's far too old for anymore worry like this. I'd rather us handle this ourselves."

"And by that, you mean I go search all of Hyrule for this 'hero' you feel will save us all?" Tari said with a smile, making a joke.

Zelda giggled. "Precisely. You _are_ my favorite body guard."

Tari rolled her eyes. "That's _mother's_ job," she laughed.

"Which is why _she_ can't go find our hero, Tari," Zelda added, making a good point, once Tari thought about it. "And..." she added, "you have your father's..."

"Shhh..." Tari whispered, hushing her. "Nobody can know, other than you and mother..."

Zelda smiled. "I don't know why you keep it secret, Tari," she replied. "It's one of the most beautiful things about you." She stood up from her chair. "I know you're strong enough... even if that is what _makes_ you strong. You can find the hero."

Tari exhaled an exasperated sigh. "Well, okay..." she began, "but... what makes you think he's really, _truley_ out there?"

Zelda held out her hand, her palm facing down. "Remember that story I told you a while back about this?" she asked, motioning to the triangular shaped symbol on the back of her hand.

"Erm... It's a.. 'Triforce,' right?" Tari asked, a bit confused.

"Yes." Zelda continued, "There are three parts, as the story goes: Power, Wisdom, and Courage."

"Uh huh..."

"Each of them belonging to one person. As you can see, I am one of those three people."

"Okay..." Tari mumbled, slowly beginning to remember the tale Zelda told her when they were children. "So... the hero bears one as well...?"

Zelda smiled. "Exactly! I know it... It's what all the legends say!"

Tari sighed. "Well, you win, Zel." She picked up her bow, strapped her arrow filled quiver around her shoulder, and equipped her two trusty daggers her mother had given her. "I'll search."

Zelda smiled sweetly at her friend. "This really does mean a lot to me, Tari," she said softly. "Thank you."

Tari grinned, and gave the princess a hug. "Well... Wish me luck!" she said, making her way out of the room.

"Oh, Tari?" Zelda asked, before she'd left.

"Hm?"

"You should head through Faron Woods first, just south of here. It's a small area, so it would probably be good to get it out of the way, first."

Tari smiled confidently. "Will do," she replied.

"And bring him back to the castle as _soon_ as you find him, please..." Zelda added, almost pleading. "We need help as fast as we can get it... I have an awful feeling..."


	2. Suspicion

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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1

A young man walked alone, quietly through the calm woods. The sun was steadily sinking in the western sky, illuminating the lands in a fiery glow. As the hour of twilight lingered, the entire woods became wreathed in a serene beauty. The young man smiled as he walked, enjoying every moment of it. Eventually, he reached the edge of the woods, walked through a small clearing, and past a quaint tree-top house. From there, he walked just a short distance further, and into a small village. The young man continued walking through the village, admiring the serenity it too savored in the twilight.

The village, known as Ordon Village, was a small, tranquil village that lay far to the south of the great kingdom of Hyrule. Nestled amongst their surrounding woodlands, all the people of Ordon enjoyed their peaceful lives. The young man, whose name was Link, was no exception.

A young man in his early 20s, Link lived in Ordon his entire life. As he grew older, he became a skilled farmer and rancher, and a dedicated member of the village community. Beyond Ordon, however, Link knew very little of the rest of the world. He always remained in and around the village, never venturing beyond the dense forested region that stretched between Ordona Province, and the provinces of Hyrule. With that said, however, Link was quite curious about the land of Hyrule. He wished to someday see its vast lands, and the many spectacular things it was said to behold.

Upon reaching the center of the village, Link sat down on a small wooden bridge, and dipped his bare feet into the cool waters of the shallow stream. There, he looked about, and watched the occasional villager finishing up his or her routine work, before nightfall. Out of nowhere, a voice called to him.

"Link," The voice spoke. "There you are."

Link turned, to see a green-clad man walking towards him. As the man neared, Link got to his feet, and stood to address him.

"'Evening, Rusl." Link said with a soft smile

Yet another member of Ordon Village, Rusl was like a father to Link. For as long as Link had lived in Ordon, Rusl and his wife Uli had taken good care of him. Link never knew his actual parents, but Rusl and Uli still treated him as if he was their own son. They now had a child of their own, a young boy named Colin, and Uli was expecting another baby within the next couple months. But by the time Colin was born, Link had already become a skilled boy, and a very independent one as well.

"Where have you been?" Rusl began to say. "Out for another walk in the woods?"

"Yeah," Link replied. "Just enjoying the peaceful evening."

"It is indeed very peaceful," Rusl said in agreement, "but I needed to talk to you. There's something important that I need to ask of you, Link."

"Yes?" Link asked curiously

"As I'm sure you remember," Rusl began to say, "tomorrow is the day I set out for Hyrule."

Though rare, there would be occasions when the people of Ordona Province had something to bring to Hyrule, or the people of Hyrule had something for Ordon. Whenever such times arose, Mayor Bo, the leader of Ordon, had given Rusl the task of traveling to the kingdom.

"Of course," Link replied

"Well," Rusl began, "I think, you should be the one who makes this journey. It's time you see for yourself the vast world that lies beyond our tiny village. You're well old enough, Link."

"Uhm..." Link said with a surprise, his blue eyes widening. "Wow. Are you sure?"

"Yes, very much so." Rusl answered, "In fact, I cannot think of a better person in the village to take this task in my stead."

Whether Link agreed or not, what Rusl said was true. Not only was Link a mature, responsible man, but, aside from Rusl, he was the only other swordsman in the village. Over the course of his travels, Rusl learned how to effectively use a sword, and taught many of these same skills to Link.

"So," Rusl said once more, "do you feel up to the task?"

Link smiled. "I'll do it," he replied with an air of confidence.

Link was actually very excited about this. Not only did he feel proud that Rusl trusted him with such a task, but he would finally be able to see the vast lands that lay beyond the secluded woods of Ordon.

"Great!" Rusl said with a grin, "Meet with me tomorrow morning, and I will provide you with everything that you'll need."

As the final moments of twilight began to fade from the village, and the shadows of night began to fill the sky, Rusl and Link said goodnight one more time. Rusl walked a short ways up the path to his home, where Uli and Colin stood waiting for him. Link waved goodbye to all three, and made his way back to the outskirts of the village, and into the small clearing beyond. Just as night had fallen, he returned to the tree house, his home, and climbed the ladder to its door.

Link entered the house, and climbed a nearby ladder into a lofty bed. There, he removed some of his garments, and tucked himself in. Against the calm night breeze that blew upon him through the house's open window, Link began to drift off to sleep. Even in slumber, however, his mind became filled with wondrous thoughts about Hyrule, and the many exciting sights that he hoped to see.

* * *

"Mm... huh..?" muttered a young man sleepily. He had realized that the warmth of his lovely wife had vanished from his side. "Midna?" he asked, sitting upright in the bed, glancing around the dark room. The man felt relieved to hear a sigh coming from beside the window. Just as he'd suspected.

"Darling, you need your sleep," he said, climbing out of bed and slowly striding towards her, gazing with her out the window of their beautiful castle of Twilight. The young man gently began to rub his wife's shoulder's. "You can't keep doing this to youself."

"It just worries me, Blaine," Midna whispered softly, still mesmerized by the veiw outside the window. "Zant has completely disappeared. I don't trust him... I know he's up to something."

Blaine sighed, slightly frustrated, but didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her in a comforting embrace. "You can't be sure of his plans based on a _dream_, Midna."

"Not just one dream," Midna replied, slightly defensively. "Besides... It's far more than just that." She turned and walked toward their bed and sat down, followed by Blaine.

"Because he wants to be the king of the Twili?" Blaine asked, laughing lightly. "Love, _we_ are the rulers. _I_ am king." He smiled, and gingerly took his wife's pale, perfect face in his hands. "And _you_, my Midna, are my beautiful queen."

Midna smiled, slowly running her thin fingers through Blaine's sleek, diamond white hair. "I'm sure he wouldn't stand a chance against our guards... but can you blame me for worrying?"

Blaine sighed. "No, I guess not." He lightly kissed her forhead. "I understand your worry, Midna. I'll have some guards accompany me on a search for him first thing in the morning."

Midna's eyes widened. "You're not going without me, Blaine," she said sternly.

Blaine bit his lip, knowing that no matter what he said, his stubbourn lover wouldn't let him win. "Midna..."

"Please?" Midna asked. "I'm almost certain I know exactly where he is..."

Blaine let out another sigh. "Where would that be?" he asked, somewhat afraid of what Midna might suggest.

The expression on Midna's face turned slightly rigid. "The world of Light," she replied. "The guards have searched everywhere here. It's the only logical explanation."

"But..." Blaine began, somewhat shocked, "how could he have found the mirror...?"

"I'm not worrying over nothing, Blaine." Midna looked off to the side a moment. "Who _knows_ what that mad man will do to their world? And then to ours..?"

Blaine saw the pure anguish in her crimson eyes, the uncertainty that had been keeping her up for nights on end. "Midna..." he said, holding her to his chest. "You have no reason to worry. Tomorrow I'll warn the guards and the maids to keep excellent watch on the castle." He kissed her forehead yet again, smoothing her long, firey auburn hair. "You and I will search the entire world of Light for him if we have to."

"Blaine..." Midna gazed into his eyes of glacier blue, her lips forming a thrilled and slightly relieved smile. "I love you."

Blaine carressed her cheek delicately, and leaned in for a slow, romantic kiss. "And I love you, my queen," his deep voice whispered softly.


	3. A Bit Too Late

_**Author's Note:**__ Finally, after many rewrites, I decided to include the Twili in this fic. ^_^ But just to clarify, Midna and Link have never met each other. The Twili have never been to Hyrule. And also, Midna is not an imp. I tried to write that last paragraph so readers would assume that much... but... just clarifying! If enough people want me to, I may have her transformed into her imp form for a few chapters, but for now, I'm a bit up in the air on the subject. :3 _

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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2

Link sat bolt upright in his bed, heart pounding, cold sweat dripping down his face. Scanning his surroundings, he was relieved to find that he was safe in his bed, yellow rays of glowing sunlight pouring in through each window, creating a much more comforting and peaceful atmosphere. _What a horrific nightmare_, he thought to himself. He clutched the sheets underneath him, desperately trying to shove the images from the dream out of his head. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, _Who was that man? What did he want from me..?_ He shook his head, hoping for some much needed mental clarity. _It was just a dream_, he told himself. _Nothing more._

After heaving a relieved sigh, the young man stumbled out of bed and treaded down the ladder from his loft bed, in search of something to wear. He slipped on a light and rather loose-fitting shirt and a pair of equally comfortable pants, to ensure some extra comfort for the trip to Hyrule Castle he'd been anxiously awaiting.

"LINK!" shouted a rather high-pitched voice from outside his opened window. "Come down here!"

Link peered outside the window and saw Beth, Malo, and Talo, three of the youngest of the Ordon residents. He smiled and waved, and opened the door to make his way down the ladder and exit his comforting treehouse.

"Link! Is it true?" asked Talo, the oldest and most curious of the two brothers, before Link had even touched the ground.

"Rusl said _you_ were going to Hyrule," Beth piped in, her childish face glowing with excitement. "Can I come, too? I've always wanted to see the outside world..."

"I'm afraid not," Link replied with a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, hoping not to upset the young girl. Her small face fell, making him feel a bit guilty. "I don't know what's out there, Beth," he explained. "It could be dangerous. Not to mention, it's only my first time traveling to Hyrule Castle."

"Maybe next time, Beth," said a calm, feminine voice from behind them. Link turned around to see Ilia, the young and caring woman he'd known all his life. The two of them had grown up together. To Link, she was like a sister.

"Hm.." Beth sighed in disappointment.

"Link," Ilia continued, "Rusl needs to see you about your trip. He has something for you." She smiled kindly. "Good luck today," she added.

Link nodded confidently, though the smile on his face clearly displayed how thrilled and excited he was. "Thanks, Ilia," he replied to his friend, waving at the four of them as he began to walk through the clearing in the woods, towards Rusl and Uli's house.

Uli waved to Link as he approached their small home, a welcoming smile on her kind face. "Good morning, Link," she said, wringing out some wet laundry she was attending to. "Ready for your exciting trip today?"

A proud smile and a nod from Link confirmed that he most definitely was. "I'm a bit nervous, though," he said. Which was true. Link had never left the comfort of their peaceful village before, let alone by himself.

Uli giggled softly. "I'm sure you are. But it'll be a wonderful experience for you." Link smiled, realizing that her statement was true. It would be a great experience to leave the village of Ordon and see something more than just bushes and trees for once.

"Well, you came earlier than I had expected," said a kind yet masculine voice from behind. Link turned his head to see Rusl slowly approaching on Link's favorite horse, Epona. They inched closer and came to a stop. "She's all cleaned up for you, Link," he said, hopping off the horse.

Link walked up to Epona and gave her a soft pat on her shoulder. "Do you have everything I'll need?" he asked Rusl.

"Indeed I do," he replied. He dug in the bag strapped to his back, and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. "Here's the message you must deliver," he said, handing it to Link. "When you approach Hyrule Castle, just introduce yourself to the guards, and give them the message. They will give it to the King. They may even let you come along." Link took the piece of parchment and carefully placed it in the pocket of his shorts.

Rusl's eyes went wide for a split second. "Oh, I almost forgot... There is one other thing I would like to give you, Link." He turned towards his home, and walked inside, closing the door behind him. Link stood beside his horse and waited patiently, curious as to what Rusl wanted him to have.

Not even five minutes later, Rusl walked out of the small, wooden house, carrying his very own sword, tucked safely into its sheath. Link gasped, his eyes wide. "Rusl..."

"This has been my most trusted weapon for many years," he said. "And you have grown into such a strong young man. Now, it's yours." He held it out for Link, and the young man slowly reached for it, still in awe.

"Rusl..." he started, taking the sword in his hands, "are you sure?"

Rusl smiled and rested a hand on Link's shoulder. "I'm absolutely positive," he replied. "You're ready for it, Link."

"Wow..." Link sighed, staring at his new weapon. "Thank you," he said softly. "This... means a lot." And to him it really did. It made Rusl seem even more like the father he never had.

"No problem, son," Rusl said sincerely. "You should probably get going while it's still early."

Link nodded and strapped the sheathed sword around his chest, the sword resting against his back. He hopped on Epona's back and yanked her reins slightly, signaling for her to slowly head out of the clearing and into the woods. Link turned around and waved at Rusl and Uli, thinking about how Rusl had called him "son."

It might have been rather normal for Rusl, considering they'd raised Link, but to him, it made him feel even more as if he belonged. They weren't Hylian, like he was. Nobody else in Ordon was, in fact. That was one thing that had secretly bothered Link throughout his life, even more so than not knowing his parents. No matter how much that troubled him, though, he'd never want anything to change. He was happy in Ordon, even if he was a bit different. Link tugged harder on Epona's reins, urging her to move a bit faster through the path that he was told led to Hyrule field. He still had a while to go, but it wouldn't take that much longer, he thought.

All of a sudden, as if her instincts told her to, Epona stopped dead in her tracks, nearly flinging Link off the saddle. "Woah!" Link shouted, hanging on to the leather straps and trying to regain his balance. Then, he stopped to listen...

It seemed to be coming from up ahead... From the sounds of clinging and clanking metal, it almost sounded like a fight... a sword fight? In the forest? Whatever it was, it must not have been good, because he heard someone scream, then cry out in pain.

Link hopped off his horse and ran ahead, pulling out his sword for the first time, just in case. The smooth _shing_ sound made him feel confident, and ready for what was ahead, be it good or bad...

"You _bastard!_" shouted a female's voice. Link slowing inched closer, hidden behind a few rather large bushes. He saw a young woman about his age, her face scratched and her clothing bloodied and tattered, desperately trying to fight off five men in dark colored armor with nothing but what appeared to be a knife. He gasped. How was she going to fight them all?

Being the brave young man he was, Link was ready to jump in and defend the girl, but out of nowhere one of the armored men sent a huge fist flying into the side of her face, knocking her completely unconcious. He winced at the loud _thud_ her body made as she hit the ground. He was too late, it seemed.

Link sighed loudly. The sound almost resembled a growl. "I've had enough," he said out loud, and stepped onto the battleground, his sword ready.

The five men did not speak. They only stared for a moment, then began to walk towards him, completely ignoring the young woman's limp body. One man, the one who was guilty of knocking her out, raised his sword, and the other four ran off, completely out of sight. He swung it hard and fast, but Link jumped back before it had a chance to hurt him. Feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline, Link lunged at him, hacking and slashing at the armored soldier with his new sword. Every other blow sent pieces of his metal armor flying through the air.

The man, now with his face and limbs rather exposed, jumped to the left and whacked his weapon at Links side, leaving a deep, bleeding gash down his arm, to his wrist. "Gah.." Link muttered through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain and preparing himself for worse. "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, using his sword as a guard against his next attack.

Raising his sword, that was significantly larger than Link's, the man hurled it down towards Link, only to drive it deep into the ground. Link had leaped backward, just in time. He almost laughed at how horrible the enemy's move was, and quickly jumped to the side and rolled behind him. Without even thinking, Link slashed the back of both his legs, causing a nice and painful distraction. As the soldier buckled in pain, Link plunged his blade completely through the back of his exposed neck and yanked it back out. Gasping for air, the dying man fell to the ground, soaking the forest floor in his putrid blood.

Link just stood there, panting and shaking from both rage and fear, his mind numb, his thoughts almost nonexistent. _I have just killed a man._ He'd never even gotten _violent_ with anyone before, let alone _killed_ a person. Even so, no matter how shaken Link was, he felt the bastard deserved it for what he'd done to the young woman...

He knelt down beside her, and examined her wounds. There weren't very many places that weren't covered in blood. _Poor girl_, Link thought, gently moving some of her matted red hair out of her pale, bloodied face. She had a few freckles scattered on each cheek, though it was a bit hard to see them under the blood. Examining her closer, Link noticed how her ears were more pointed, like his own. _Maybe she's Hylian as well...?_

Looking down beside them, Link noticed a few random arrows that had spilled out of the quiver she had on her back, and a large bow that had been snapped in half. She was an archer, which could explain why she didn't do so well fighting five men close-range. Beside the bow was the dagger he'd seen her use, covered in blood from a few successful stab wounds she'd managed to inflict.

Link collected the arrows, the bow, and the dagger, and stuffed them all into the bag strapped to Epona, who had finally come out of her hiding spot, injury free. He lifted up the unconcious girl, knowing he needed to help her. Her slender body lay limp and lifeless in his arms. Link felt terrible for being only a second too late.

He carefully set her on Epona's back and hopped on behind her, holding her tightly as they rode back to Ordon. The message to Hyrule could wait. She needed his help.

* * *

"Oh my God," gasped Uli, as she saw Link and Epona slowly approach the village, accompanied by a lifeless body, drenched in blood. "Rusl!" she shouted towards the house. "Come, quick!" The pregnant woman hurried to them, a horrified look on her face. "Link... What happened?"

Link slowly slid off Epona's back, carefully holding on to the girl. "She was attacked," Link explained, quite scared himself.

"Attacked?" Uli's eyes widened. "Poor girl... Who could have done this...?"

Link sighed. "I'm not sure who they were, or what they were up to, but there were these five armored men..."

"Five men in armor?" said a kind, yet masculine voice. Rusl approached them slowly, and examined the young woman. "She must have been very quick and agile... Im surprised the poor woman wasn't killed."

Link looked off to the side, knowing what woud have become of the girl if he hadn't come. "I honestly think... that they really _were_ trying to kill her." He gazed down at her unconcious body, knowing she needed help, fast. "Rusl," Link started, pulling the message out of his pocket. "You should go ahead and deliver this," he said, handing him the piece of parchment. "I should take her to my home. She needs my help." _I owe her that much._

Rusl nodded. "Of course, son."

Link didn't stay to hear anything else that Rusl or Uli might have said. He didn't wish him luck, he didn't even see him leave. He just desperately needed to get this girl into his home.

* * *

Thankfully, none of the children had seen Link carrying an unconscious, bloody body back to his home. He was, however, trying to prepare for all the trouble and worry it would cause amongst the other villagers. After carefully climbing the ladder to his door, while holding the injured girl, Link delicately laid her down on the rug, making sure her head rested nicely on a pillow he conveniently had laying around.

_Poor thing_, he thought, still eyeing every wound, every cut, every bruise on her small body. Link stood up, wondering where he'd left that bottle of antiseptic he'd gotten from Sera, the general store owner. "Damn," he muttered to himself nervously, not having any luck.

"Need some of this?" asked a sudden voice from behind him, nearly causing him to fall backwards.

"Ilia!" Link practically gasped. "You scared the hell out of me. Did you just come in?"

Ilia nodded. "I saw you holding this injured girl, talking to Uli and Rusl... and didn't want to cause any commotion... So I secretly hurried in behind you."

"Well," Link said, grabbing the bottle of antiseptic out of her hand, "thanks for that much. Rusl and Uli are already pretty worried..."

Ilia laughed and knelt down beside the woman. "I figured you wouldn't want the whole village knocking down your door just to see what happened." She traced a finger along the young girl's arm, right above where a long gash was located. "Hm... Her ears look more like yours do, Link. Maybe she's Hylian, too."

"Uh, yeah..." Link muttered, also wondering about that as well.

"Poor girl," Ilia said softly. "I'm surprised this happened to her... She looks as though she has a good amount of muscle in those skinny arms."

"I was thinking the same thing," Link said, mainly to himself, as he was trying to focus on getting the girl cleaned up before anything got seriously infected. He reached towards a shelf, and grabbed a wash cloth. Opening the jar, he dabbed the cloth in a nice amount of antiseptic, and bent down beside the unconscious woman. "I feel like it's my fault," he confessed, beginning to wipe off some blood from her pale face. "If I'd have shown up two seconds earlier, we could have fought those guys off together, and she wouldn't be laying on my floor, unconscious."

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Link," Ilia said, beginning to help him clean some blood off the girl. "I'm sure she'll turn out to be a nice, normal person, but for all we know, she could be, like... an assassin, or something."

Link stopped a moment and stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "An _assassin_, Ilia. Really?"

Ilia giggled a bit. "It's a possibility," she said. "But, maybe you should let me clean her up for a bit. You need to take care of that huge gash on your wrist."

_Huh..?_ Link had been too busy worrying about the young woman that he'd forgotten all about his own injury. "Uh, right," he said, rummaging through his shelves for any bandages. He found some gauze, and examined his wound for a moment.

Oh his left hand, he had been born with a triangular shaped birth mark. He'd secretly wondered if it was really something more, because the three triangles were shaped so flawlessly that it almost seemed ridiculous to consider it a mere birthmark. Nobody ever thought it anything special, so he brushed it off, as if it were nothing. But even through the deep, bleeding gash, the three triangles were still formed perfectly. He carefully wrapped the bandage around his wrist and hand, wanting to hurry and get back to the girl, in case she'd start to wake up.

"Well..." Ilia started, "I should probably get back home... Father's probably wondering where I am."

Link didn't stop her, considering both the fact that her father was the mayor, and he had a problem laying unconscious in front of him. "Mkay," he said. "I'll see you later, Ilia."

"And come get me once she wakes up," she added, before exiting his tree home. "I want to make sure she's alright." She smiled sweetly and left, closing the door softly behind her.

Now that all his attention was on the girl, Link felt a bit less nervous. It also helped that her wounds had been bandaged nicely, and most of the blood had been cleaned off, with the exception of the stains on her tattered, burgundy colored tunic. Wondering if she'd awaken anytime soon, Link decided to make up a much more comfortable bed for her, so she could rest a bit. He quickly threw together two rather thick blankets and another pillow, out of the way of the bright, blazing sunlight pouring in through the windows, to avoid making her any more uncomfortable.

Link gently lifted her slightly less bloodied body up from the rug, and rested her softly on the blankets. He smoothed some of her messy red hair out of her eyes, and watched her for a moment.

He wondered why she'd been traveling through Faron Woods in the first place. Did she know somebody here in Ordon? Most likely not, because she appeared to be Hylian, like himself. Maybe it was just for a nice, fun hunting trip?

Link then realized that the bow she'd been carrying was snapped in half. He'd have to search his basement pretty well, but Link knew he had all the materials he needed to repair it nicely. He figured it was the least he could do.


	4. Pleasure to Meet You

_**Author's Note:**__ Bleh. I honestly feel bad about these boring chapters, but the story will pick up, I promise. You just gotta give these things some time. ^_^ Ya know?_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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3

_Perfect_, Link thought proudly to himself, eyeing the bow he had just fixed and polished. Rusl had taught him how to build and repair many things throughout his life, and at that moment, he wished Rusl were there, so he could thank him.

"Nnnng..." groaned a voice.

Link gasped. He turned to see the young woman squirm a bit, then watched intently as her eyes fluttered open. _She's awake!_

"Mm..." she muttered softly. "Ow..."

Link hurried over to her side. "How are you feeling?" he asked quickly, without thinking. "Do you need anything?"

She looked up at him. For a split second, Link felt nervous. _What if Ilia was serious? We don't even _know_ this girl. What if she really _is_ a bad person...?_ But he felt an enormous sense of relief when he saw her pale face form a soft grin. "I sort of feel like I've been trampled by a heard of wild buffalo." She giggled. "But other than that, I'm quite alright."

Link laughed lightly as well. "I'm sure you do, those men were huge." He felt happy that she was as friendly as she was, especially since she'd just woken up in a complete stranger's house.

"Did you _see_ the size of those swords?" she continued, sitting up, but wincing. "Uhn..! Damn..."

"You should probably lay down for a while," Link said softly, lighting some wood in his stove to make them each a cup of hot tea.

She began to lay back down slowly. "I suppose you're right..." she said. "Uhm..." she continued, "So... were _you_ the one who 'rescued' me?"

Link sighed. "I honestly don't feel like much of a hero, but... yeah. Actually," Link continued, feeling a bit uneasy, "I kind of... killed one of them."

Her eyes widened. "You _don't _feel like a hero?" she asked, sounding a bit bewildered. "You _have_ to be amazing to fight them off, let alone _kill_ one of those bastards. I'm a pretty decent warrior, and look what happened to me."

Link let out a short laugh, glad his new friend at least had a nice sense of humor. "Well, thank you," he said. "I just... I never thought the first time I'd actually draw my sword, I'd take someone's life."

The young woman looked at him sympathetically. "But by doing so," she began, "you also _saved_ a life." She smiled kindly. "Don't feel guilty about ending that bastard's life," she continued. "He... He was trying to end mine."

After sighing loudly, Link thought this over a moment. The fact that the young woman was grateful for what he'd done made him feel much better about the whole situation. If he hadn't defeated the armored warrior, he could have come back for her, or even Link himself. Link had just saved a life.

"How come?" Link finally asked, after a few moments of pondering quietly to himself.

"Honestly," she began, "I haven't the slightest idea." The girl winced, tangling her bandaged hand in her matted red hair. "I'm a complete _mess,_" she complained. "With an awful headache..."

"We can mend and wash your clothes later tonight," Link said, adding a slight laugh in response to her humorous attitude. He finished her cup of warm tea, and handed it to her. "Drink this, it should help ease the pain a bit. It's hot, though..."

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip. "And not just for the delicious tea. Thanks for fighting them off. ...And for taking care of me." She smiled softly, and took another sip of hot tea.

Link smiled. "It's no problem at all," he said honestly. The fact that she was being so kind made him feel much better about what had happened to her. "Oh, um..." he started, "I didn't catch your name...?"

The young woman giggled. "Tari," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake, though she was still lying down.

"I'm Link," he replied, taking her hand.

"Very nice to meet you, Link," Tari said politely, the kind smile on her face making the bruises and scrapes appear much less distinct.

"You too," he said equally nicely, as she let go of his hand. "So," Link began, "if you don't mind me asking, what brings you here to Ordon?"

Tari shifted positions, and was now laying on her side, to face Link. "Well..." she muttered hesitantly, looking off to the side, "it's... kind of a long, and honestly sort of crazy story." She took a few more sips of her tea, finishing it off.

Link took the mug and walked over to the stove to refill it. "I've got all day," he said, a humorous grin on his face.

"Ehee," Tari giggled softly, taking the mug of newly poured tea as Link handed it to her slowly. "Well, okay. I come all the way from Hyrule Castle. My mother is Princess Zelda's body guard, so she and I grew up together." She swallowed her tea down quickly.

"You live in Hyrule Castle?" Link asked, a bit surprised. "With the _princess?_"

"Indeed I do," Tari replied casually. "My family technically comes from Kakariko Village, where I was born. That's where my mother was from. She's a Sheikah, one of the few remaining."

Link had heard many stories about other races throughout the kingdom of Hyrule, including a few of the Sheikah. He'd heard they possessed magical powers, like the ability to heal. He'd also heard, though, that they were a dying race. "Was your father a Sheikah, too?"

Tari finally sat up, not really caring much about the searing pain she felt when she moved. "Erm... No," she replied somewhat nervously. "He was... Hylian."

"_'Was?'_" Link asked, wondering what she meant.

Tari looked off to the side. "He, uh... He's dead. He died in battle, eight years ago."

Link remembered the time the castle was under attack. He was only thirteen at the time. It didn't affect the Ordona province very much, considering they were tucked safely in the woods, but that didn't stop the whole village from worrying.

Feeling a bit guilty, Link sat down beside Tari on the makeshift bed, and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Tari," he said.

Tari glanced up at him, and smiled. "It's alright," she said. "Mother and I miss him terribly, but I know he wouldn't have wanted me to mourn forever. I sort of wish to become what he never had the chance to..."

"If it makes you feel any better," Link started, "I've never even known my real parents." He finally took a sip of his own tea, that had gotten cold.

Tari's eyes widened. "How come?" she asked, both curiously and cautiously. "What happened...?"

The two of them talked for hours. Link explained to her how Rusl was the closest thing to a father he'd ever had, and how he and Uli had known his real parents. Link's father had died in a similar way Tari's had, but it was before his mother had given birth to him. His mother was a rancher, like himself. One night, when he was only a few months old, his mother had mysteriously disappeared. Link had long ago learned to accept the fact that she was dead.

Tari listened intently, asking a question or two when she wanted to know more. Link honestly really liked the conversation he was having with his new friend, and couldn't wait to introduce her to the rest of Ordon.

"Ya know," Tari began, "I'm actually kind of glad those armored guys pummeled me." She laughed lightly. "It's not very often I get to have friends outside the the castle. In fact, until today, Zelda was the only real friend I ever had."

This made Link very happy. "It _is_ kinda nice to know another Hylian," he joked.

"Ehee," Tari giggled. "You're really the only one here?"

"Yep," Link replied. "One and only. With the exception of you, of course." Then he suddenly remembered something. "Oh!" He quickly jumped up and ran across the room the the small end table against the wall.

"What?" Tari asked, worried something was wrong.

"I have something for you," Link replied, carefully holding Tari's bow.

Ignoring the pain she felt throughout her entire body, Tari sprang up from the blankets and followed him. "My bow!" she cried, a huge smile plastered on her lightly freckled face. "You... You fixed it!" She took it gingerly from his hands. "It's good as new..."

Link smiled, glad he'd made her happy. "I found this, too," he added, handing her the dagger she'd dropped.

The smile had not left Tari's face. "Link..." she reached for it slowly, and placed it in the sheath she had strapped around her waist, that already held a similar looking weapon. "You didn't have to do all this," she said softly.

Link blushed a bit. "It's the least I could do," he replied.

"Again," Tari said, "Thank you for everything, Link. You're a great friend."


	5. Congradulations, Link

_**Author's Note:**__ ...Ya know, I've been thinking. Anybody reading this should probably ingore the summary I wrote for this story. You know, the thing you read when you click the Link to my story? I'm not that great at writing summaries on the spot with only a limited number of characters. GRR. And another thing... if you like where it's going so far, tell me! Review! Message me! Email me, something! Feel free to give suggestions. It's gonna be a looong adventure, so I can handle them! And if you don't like my story... then go away and read something else. ^_^ And please, all I ask of you is... don't bash my fic._

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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4

"You know, you never technically told me _why_ you were here in Ordon," Link said calmly. He and Tari had both decided that she was well enough to come outside for a nice stroll through the village. It helped that the sun was close to setting, and the warn, gentle breeze felt comforting.

"Oh, heh..." Tari muttered, laughing nervously. "I guess I kind of got carried away with my life story earlier." She sat down on the small wooden bridge that crossed the shallow stream, and dipped her bare feet in the water.

Link sat beside her, and did the same. "Eh, It happens," he replied, a kind smile on his face.

"Well," Tari began, "as I've said before, my mother and I are Princess Zelda's body guards. Mainly my mother... I'll take her place once I'm more experienced, but even now, I must fight for Zelda and protect her. She trusts me more than anyone else in the world. She's like the older sister I never had. And lately, she's been having a really bad feeling about a man in our castle." Tari nervously began picking at a small chunk of wood that had begun to split away from the wooden plank she was sitting on. "He's trying to gain as much trust from the King as he can, but... Zelda doesn't trust him at all."

"Why not?" Link asked, feeling a bit uneasy, knowing the chaos the whole kingdom had endured eight years before. "Was he involved in...?"

"Yes," Tari replied abruptly. "He was there on the day that both my father and Zelda's mother, the Queen, were killed. He was actually... the man in charge." She sighed, beginning to finally trust in Zelda's judgment. "The king doesn't know it's him... And Zelda wont tell him."

"Why not?" Link asked. Tari could sense that he was a little concerned as well.

"Well," she replied, "that's where _I_ come in. There are these, uhm... 'legends,' if you will... about a hero. A single man who once defeated the evil that plagued Hyrule long ago." Tari looked up at Link curiously. "Ever heard of him?"

"Actually," Link replied, a bit embarrassed, "no, I haven't."

Tari giggled. "Eh, don't feel too bad," she said. "Zelda had to tell me the whole story today again before I left."

"Is that why you're here?" Link asked, somewhat confused. "To find this 'hero?'"

"As crazy as it sounds, yes. Zelda feels that there is someone out there somewhere who can defeat that man, if he really _is_ planning something." Tari peered down at the stream, watching a few little fish glide through the clear waters. "There's still a possibility that we're worrying over nothing, and he really _does_ have a good side... but to be honest with you, after the day my father died... I wouldn't doubt he'd try and attack us all over again." She finally looked up at Link. "Zelda feels it would be best for us to handle this ourselves for the time being, to avoid worrying her father too much."

Link wanted to know more about her story, but was interrupted by a sudden shout.

"Hey! You're alright!"

Link and Tari turned to see Ilia, smiling happily. "Oh, hey, Ilia," Link said. "This is Tari."

"Glad to finally meet you, Tari," Ilia spoke happily. "It's nice to see you up and about."

"Thanks," Tari answered, grinning politely.

"You know," Ilia began, "I could mend your tunic for you, if you'd like."

Tari's smile widened. "Really?"

"Of course! In the mean time, I have some clothes you can borrow."

Link watched at the two girls conversed. Ilia really seemed to take a quick liking to Tari, which pleased him, considering earlier on in the day Ilia had doubts about her. He waited patiently by the stream while the two girls left for Ilia's home.

"Ain't seen her before," said a rather loud, masculine voice.

Link turned his head a bit to see Fado, his friend and fellow rancher. "'Evening, Fado," he said, waving slightly.

"You got yourself a nice one, bud!" Fado said, winking.

Link felt his cheeks turn bright red. "W-what?" he asked. "No, no.. we're not-"

"Yeah, yeah," Fado pressed on. "You know she's cute."

"I, uh... No!" Link replied, at a loss for words. "We're only friends. I mean... I just met her today..."

Fado smiled. "So _I _can have her?"

"No! Uh, I mean... you.. Ugh," Link sputtered, getting very flustered.

Link rolled his eyes as his friend laughed. "I'm just messin' with ya, Link," Fado said. "Well, hey, it's gettin' late. I'll see ya tomorrow." He began walking along side the stream, and was soon out of sight.

"Bye," Link muttered, knowing Fado couldn't have possibly heard. He hunched over, propping his head up with his hand as he began thinking to himself. He'd never put much thought into romance before. His job at the ranch made him far to busy. Now that he thought about it, Tari did have nice features. But she worked for a royal family, and was surely going to marry a strong, experienced warrior. Besides. She wasn't the only pretty girl out there.

Link shook any thoughts of romance out of his head for the time being. He figured, if he was meant to be in a relationship, then it would happen on its own, at the right time, with the right person.

* * *

"Thanks again for letting me stay the night," Tari said kindly, so grateful for having met such a nice friend.

"No problem at all," Link replied with a smile. "Wow... This is _delicious_." He quickly devoured the fried eggs and crispy, maple flavored bacon Tari cooked. "_Amazing_," he mumbled, his mouth full of food.

"Glad you're enjoying your breakfast," Tari responded happily, giggling at how fast he ate. "Somebody sure was hungry this morning..."

Link stopped eating a moment and blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Heh," he laughed nervously. "It was just really tasty."

"Thanks," Tari said shyly as she began to clean up Link's tiny kitchen a bit.

"No, I'll do it," Link offered. "You haven't even eaten yet." He smiled at Tari, and took a dirty plate from her hands.

"Uhm, okay," she agreed, sitting down to eat.

"So, still sore today?" Link asked, cleaning off the table a bit.

Tari shoved a forkful of egg into her mouth. "Nope," she replied casually. "I feel pretty good, actually." She finished her plate quickly. "That _was_ pretty yummy..."

Link apparently hadn't heard the last part. "You're not aching?" he asked slowly.

"Nah."

"You're not in any kind of pain at all?" he pressed on, still skeptical.

"Not in the slightest." She smiled. "Thanks for asking, though."

Link examined the bruises and scrapes on her face more closely. They had almost completely gone away. _How in the world was she able to recover so fast?_ he wondered to himself.

He also noticed that it was much easier to see the light freckles that gently dusted her pale white cheeks. She had also fixed her bright auburn hair, that rested nicely along her collarbone. It was tied back in a half ponytail, almost as it had been the day before. Link figured this was how her hair looked before she was attacked.

Link shook his head slightly, realizing where his thoughts were going. _Dammit Fado,_ he thought, remembering the previous night's conversation. "Well," he began, changing his very awkward train of thought, "I'm so glad you healed quickly." He sat down beside her at his small kitchen table. "I'm kind of relieved."

Tari smiled. "That's good," she said. "You seemed pretty tense yesterday. Oh! Speaking of healing..." she reached for his left hand, and lightly touched the bandage. "We should probably take a look at _your_ wound."

"Oh, of course," Link said, having almost completely forgotten about his injured hand. "Go right ahead."

"Is it hurting you any?" Tari asked, slowly beginning to unwrap the bandage.

"A little, but..." Link began to say, but he nervously stopped himself when he saw Tari gasp in shock as her green eyes widened.

"Oh... Oh my Goddess," she spoke slowly, staring at his hand in utter disbelief. "Link..."

_Jeez, it doesn't look _that_ bad, does it?_ Link thought to himself, a bit lost. "Uhm..."

"Zelda was actually right..." Tari whispered softly, still staring at Link's hand.

Link thought a moment. _Could she be looking at the mark on my hand...?_ He never knew what it was... At that very moment, he knew something was going to change. Forever. "Tari..." he slowly muttered, "W-what's going on...?" He also knew deep down that this _change _probably wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

"This... this symbol..." Tari delicately touched the triangular mark on his hand, and looked up at him slowly. "It's _you_, Link!" she said, beginning to sound a bit more enthusiastic.

Link stared at her for a moment. "What do you mean...?" he asked, having a hard time comprehending everything that had been said in the past few moments.

Tari smiled. "You are the hero chosen by the Gods," she said confidently. "Congratulations. You get to save Hyrule."


	6. To the Castle

_**Author's Note:**__ And the story finally begins! Oh, if any of you are Ocarina of Time fans (some aspects will be featured in here soon enough!), I made a cute little Ocarina charm on Deviant Art. :) And, I figured out how to turn it into a necklace! When you have a moment, you should check it out! They might be up for commission soon, if anybody's interested in buying one! __.com/#/d334uev__ Anywho. Enjoy the fic, and review! Pretty please! I love feedback! And again, don't yell at me if you don't like how I tell my story. This is how I do it. :) Nobody has yet... So... Thanks..? lol!_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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5

Midna slowly stepped through the portal created by the Mirror of Twilight, into the world of Light. "Strange," she uttered to herself.

"Indeed," Blaine agreed, stepping onto the smooth, desert sand beside her. "No guards. Anywhere..."

Midna sighed. "I'd be more than willing to bet this was Zant's doing."

Blaine rubbed his wife's shoulders briskly, knowing she was exactly right. "Well," he began. "I see a town up ahead... Maybe we should ask around?"

"I doubt Zant would be hiding in the _desert_, Blaine," Midna replied, beginning to walk forward, away from the mirror. The blinding light from the portal slowly began to disappear, and the couple became encased in the cave's darkness. "Although... I guess it wouldn't hurt to look a bit."

The two of them slowly walked out of the dark cave that hid the mirror, and stepped out into the blazing sunlight. "I hope we don't look too unusual to any of these people," Blaine joked.

* * *

Link's blue eyes widened. "...M-me?" he stuttered, completely lost. "But... Why? What's so special about me...?"

"Well, _this,_ for starters," Tari replied, her fingers gently tracing the outline of the triangular mark on his left hand.

Link continued to stare at Tari, utterly dumbfounded.

Tari giggled, amused by the bewildered expression on her friend's face. "I guess I should tell you the full story..."

"That might help," Link muttered a bit sarcastically, beginning to worry.

"Well..." Tari began, hoping Link was prepared for yet another long story. She sighed, wondering if she could remember everything Zelda had told her, and continued.

"Long ago, the land of Hyrule was created by three Goddesses. Din, the goddess of Power; Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom; And Farore, the goddess of Courage. That powerful symbol or your hand is known as a 'Triforce.' And that's what each of the three triangular shapes stand for: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Only three people can bare one, and possess its immense power. Zelda is one of them. And obviously, you're one as well. Zelda holds the Triforce of Wisdom. She tells me that the hero is supposed to bare the Triforce of Courage." Tari chuckled lightly to herself. "So far, you seem pretty courageous to me."

"Heh," Link laughed nervously in response. "I... I guess I understand. Just one question, though."

"Of course," Tari said kindly.

"What about Power?" he asked. "Who's obtained that?"

Tari looked off to the side. "We... we don't know for sure."

"Hm..." Link muttered to himself, feeling very anxious. _So... What does all this mean?_ He almost gasped when he felt a gentle hand rest lightly on his shoulder.

"Don't be worried, Link," Tari said, her voice soft and reassuring. "Everything will work out. I _know_ you can handle this."

Link smiled, glad Tari was being so helpful. "Thanks," he replied. "I just wish we knew _what_ I have to 'handle'..."

"Hm..." Tari thought to herself. "I think it's time I took you to the Castle," she said. "Zelda needed to speak with you, anyway. Since you're the hero, and all..."

This made Link feel a bit better, considering he hadn't been there before. "Well.. Okay." He then smiled. "We should probably let the other villagers know what's going on before we leave. Well, at _least_ Rusl."

Tari grinned as well, relieved to see Link becoming more confident. "Sure thing," she replied, grabbing her bow. "And I'm sure we'll be back before anything major happens."

* * *

"I really should have seen this coming," Rusl said softly to Link. "I... well, honestly... I knew this responsibility would descend to you."

Link stared at Rusl a moment, a puzzled expression on his face. "What do you mean..?"

Uli smiled, her hand resting gently on her son Colin's shoulder. "The same thing happened with your father, long before you were born. We... well, we knew both your parents very well."

Link's eyes widened as he thought this over. He knew they'd been friends with his parents, but... his father was the _hero_?

"You'd better get going, you two," Rusl said with a proud smile, before Link could finish his thought. "I'm sure the royal family has some important news."

Link nodded, but before he could tun to leave he saw Colin slowly approach him. "Link," he said timidly. "Good luck." He smiled. "I know you'll make a great hero."

"Thanks, Colin," Link said kindly, and ruffled the young boy's pale blond hair.

Tari giggled to herself at how sweet young Colin was. She was overjoyed to know that Link had such a loving family, even if they weren't his real blood relatives. "Well," she began, "shall we go?"

"Sure thing," Link replied. The two of them waved at Rusl, Uli, and Colin as they headed away from their home.

* * *

"Ya know, that's a really nice sword you've got there," Tari said suddenly.

Link laughed a bit. "Thanks," he replied. "Rusl made it himself. It actually used to belong to him."

Tari's jade green eyes widened. "Wow, he must be pretty skilled to make one that amazing..." She then smiled a bit shyly. "You think you should show me some moves sometime?" She chuckled lightly. "As you can see, I'm much better at inflicting damage with arrows."

Link grinned, enjoying her sense of humor. "Of course," he said. "But only if you show me how to use your bow."

"Definitely," Tari giggled. She then sighed. "Hm..."

"Something wrong?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, not really," Tari replied slowly. "Just... It's kind of a long walk there."

Link smiled confidently. "Which is why we're making a quick stop before we leave Ordon."

Tari looked up, and realized that they had just entered the ranch. Link's beautiful, brown horse slowly approached them. "Wow," Tari muttered, her eyes wide. "You never told me you had a horse!" She ran her slender fingers though the hose's snow white mane. "She's beautiful."

"Her name is Epona," Link said. "Ever tried riding a horse before?"

Tari's lightly freckled cheeks turned pink. "Uhm, no..." she confessed, laughing nervously.

Link smiled kindly. "It's not hard," he replied. "It's pretty fun, actually." He hopped on Epona's back, and positioned himself comfortably on the saddle. "Here," he said, holding out his hand. "Hop on."

Tari slowly reached for his hand and held it tight as she situated herself behind him. "Woah..!" she uttered, slightly losing her balance.

Link laughed, grabbing her arm. "You should probably hold on to me pretty tight," he said. "I'd feel horrible if you got hurt again."

Tari giggled, feeling her cheeks get hot. "Heh, alright..." She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, just like he said. The horse slowly trotted forward, then sped up as Link tugged at her reins.

Cheeks still bright red, Tari didn't know whether to feel awkward or comforted. She couldn't tell if she loved the feeling of holding on to Link, or if it made her want to run and hide. _Maybe it's because I know he'll fall for Zelda before me,_ she thought to herself. _She's beautiful. She's a princess. I'm a damn..._

Tari stopped herself from thinking any further thoughts. She had no desire to think about love, jealousy, or her true self. All that mattered at the moment was getting back to Hyrule Castle.

"Having fun?"

Tari almost gasped. She glanced up to see Link looking back at her, grinning. "Huh? Oh! Yeah!" Actually, that was the truth. She was really enjoying the fast-paced ride. "It's amazing," she added.

"Glad you think so," Link replied, the kind smile still on his face. "Almost there!"

_Great_, Tari thought to herself, a bit relieved. _Finally. I don't have to hold his amazing waist any longer..._

She blushed deeply yet again, trying desperately to forget she'd just thought of that.


	7. The Adventure Begins

_**Author's Note:**__ Something has come to my attention. One of my readers doesn't like the choice of curse words I've used for the Hylians so far in my story, haha. And... I'm agreeing with her completely. ^^; I did manage to think up my own... like, "Oh my Goddess" rather than "Oh my God/Gosh/Goodness"... SO. She gave me a few suggestions, that I will definitely use... and I'm totally open to more of them, if any of you have any. ^_^ And another thing... My friend Tegan's OC's are going to be introduced in this story shortly. Woo! And! She gets all the credit for the title of this story, so... Thank her. lol! Thanks for reading, and you should also go find her on DeviantArt! xx-tegansarafan-xx ...Review! :3_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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6

"TARI!" shouted a voice as the two rode in quickly on the brown horse. "Oh my Goddess, I'm so relieved you're here!" An older, taller, red-haired woman ran up to them hastily as Epona slowed to a stop in front of the castle.

Link and Tari looked about the castle grounds, and noticed quite a few dead bodies lying around, both familiar and unfamiliar. Others were either wounded, treating the injured, or heavily armed and standing guard. "Mother..." Tari whispered as Link helped her off the horse. "What... What's going on?"

Tari's mother motioned for them both to follow her into the huge castle. "A small Gerudo army attacked the castle."

Tari's green eyes widened as she gasped and covered her hand over her mouth.

"So far, everything is under control," the woman continued, still a bit worried. "We've defeated most of them, and the rest fled... We're just preparing for worse at the moment."

"No..." Tari said softly, pure dread in her usually bright eyes.

Link was just as shocked. "A... Gerudo army?" he muttered. "Since when have they been enemies...?" He'd never met an actual Gerudo, but, like many of the other races and tribes amongst Hyrule, he knew there was nothing bad about them. He'd heard they lived in the desert, and were all women, known for their strength and skills in combat. Only every hundred years was a male born.

The older woman sighed as the guards behind them closed the castle entrance. "I'm just as surprised as you are," she said. "I apoligize... My name is Nolana. I'm Tari's mother." Nolana smiled sweetly, making it very clear that Tari got her own smile from her mother. "You must be our hero the Princess told me about."

Link smiled, beginning to feel a bit more confident about his supposed responsibilities. "Evidently," he said. "Um... I'm Link."

"Pleased to meet you, Link," Nolana replied.

"So..." Tari muttered out of nowhere. "Where's Zelda? Is she alright?"

Nolana nodded. "She's just fine. Actually, we should go see her. She needed to speak with both of you."

* * *

"I knew I could trust you with this, Tari," Zelda said immediately, flashing a genuine smile in her friend's direction. She then looked over at Link. "I presume Tari has told you what has been going on lately, and about your newly found responsibilities?"

Link nodded, still trying to take everything in, though he remained confident.

"Good. I'm sure this must sound very strange to you..." She smiled at Link sympathetically. "But if you are the savior of Hyrule, then everything will work out." Zelda walked towards the other side of her bedroom and slowly opened a closet door, then continued. "This is very similar to what happened years ago when we were attacked the first time, though no hero was here to save us. That man... Ganondorf, is his name... was responsible for it. I'm certain he's the cause of this attack as well." She turned to face them, holding a pile of neatly folded garments. "Wear these, Link," she said, handing him the forest green clothing. "They have been passed down from the last hero... You're father."

"Also," Tari piped, "the material is very comfortable. My tunic is made out of the same fabric. It's great for travel, and it's pretty durable. Especially since Zel made me fix them up a bit..."

Zelda giggled lightly, amused by Tari's slight sarcasm. "Yes, they would suit you well for long journeys."

"Hm..." Link muttered to himself, eyeing the clothing. "What kind of long journeys?" he asked suddenly. "Where... would I need to go?"

"That's just what I needed to tell you both," Zelda replied. "I know of the power you father once held, in order to destroy the evil that plagued Hyrule long before my father was even king. It is the sword of evil's bane- the Master Sword. No evil can touch it, once it's power is restored."

"_'Restored?'_" Tari asked, a puzzled expression forming on her pale face.

"It's powerless...?" Link questioned, confused as well.

"Well..." Zelda began, "for the time being, yes. No one knows exactly why, but after your father redeemed the freedom and tranquility of the kingdom years ago, the sword's power became ineffective. Gone completely. You must get it back."

"How?" Link wondered.

"Yeah..." Tari added. "You're making us both a bit anxious, Zel... What in Farore does he need to do?"

Zelda smiled. "You never cease to amuse me, Tari. I have heard of one way to restore the weapon's strength." She looked at the two calmly. "There are five Spiritual Stones that must be collected, all from different provinces in Hyrule. The Kokiri Emerald, within the Kokiri forest; The Goron Ruby, found in Death mountain; The Zora Sapphire, hidden near Lake Hylia, I'd assume; The Sheikah Amethyst, in Tari's hometown of Kakariko village; And the Gerudo Topaz, somewhere in the Gerudo Desert. Hidden deep within Faron woods is a temple, known to some as the Temple of Time. That is where you find the sword. I hope you both can remember all of that."

"Both..?" Tari questioned.

"Of course," Zelda replied. "I'd like you to accompany our hero in his journey, Tari. I feel your, uhm... strength and... uh, courage... will help him immensely..."

"I agree," Nolana said, finally speaking up. "Go with him, love. Your... abilities would really come in handy."

The looks they both gave Tari confused Link a bit. Was there something he didn't know? Did he miss something? Even so, he was thrilled to have a friend go along with him through his travels, especially someone as playful and entertaining as Tari.

"Alright." Tari smiled confidently. "You never know, Link," she said. "It could be kinda fun."

Link smiled back, no matter how confused about everything he was. "I'm sure we can handle it," he said, more to himself than anybody else.

"You'd better go try those clothes on," Tari replied. "I'm curious as to what your 'hero attire' looks like on you."

* * *

Link slipped on a pair of sturdy brown boots and stood, taking a quick glance at his reflection in the mirror. _Eh, not bad_, he thought. The green tunic felt like it could definitely enable comfort when being on the move quite often, which he knew they would be for awhile. There was also a layer of bronze-colored chain mail underneath the clothing, that would help protect him in combat. He noticed a while back that Tari wore chain mail underneath her dark red tunic as well.

Looking down a moment, Link spotted a green hat that had been given to him with his new garments. He slipped it on a moment, staring in the mirror across from him. It felt odd wearing it, but it just seemed to... work.

Link jumped as he heard a knock at the door. "Uh..." he stammered, "come on in."

The door cracked open slowly, and Tari, Zelda, and Nolana stepped into the room. "Very nice!" Tari remarked, eyeing his new attire.

Link blushed, and stood with a rather _'ta-dah!'_ expression on his face, not really knowing how to react to Tari's compliment.

"It really does suit you nicely," Nolana added with an eyebrow raised, in an almost teasing tone.

"Mother..." Link heard Tari mutter softly, most likely hoping for nobody to hear.

"I'm glad they fit you, Link," Zelda said, approaching him. She smiled graciously, holding something in her hand. "This is from Nolana and I," she added. "It's just for some supplies you'll need along the way."

"Perhaps a shield?" Nolana suggested.

Link looked down a moment, and saw the good sized bag the Princess was holding gingerly in her hands. He took it slowly, and opened it to see it was filled to the brim with money.

"Five hundred rupees," Zelda said, still grinning sweetly. "I hope that's enough...?"

Link's eyes widened. "Wow... Uhm, of course!" His smile stretched across his entire face. "Thank you!"

"You're amazing," Tari said to Zelda, giving her a tight hug.

Zelda held her back. "Now you and I both know that _you_ are the amazing one." She looked at her a moment. "I wish I too could have been blessed with your great abilities, Tari..."

Link raised an eyebrow a moment. _What in the world are they talking about...?_ Though he knew he and Tari would become great friends, he thought it would be impolite to ask right away. He was sure he'd find out soon enough.

"We should head out," Tari said to Link, snapping him out of his thoughts for a moment. "We should probably head to Kakariko Village first. It's fairly close, and they have a few nice shops around the town. We can find you a nice shield, and I need some more arrows, myself..."

Link smiled, finally feeling ready for what lie ahead. "Sounds great."

"Tari," Nolana began. "One last thing... When you go to find the Amethyst... be sure to look for Kioshi. She will be of great help."

"Kioshi," Tari said, sounding a bit excited. "I remember her from when we were children. Dad taught us archery together..."

Nolana flashed a kind smile in her daughter's direction. "Haku would be very proud of you for it, too."

Tari nodded. She then grabbed a small satchel she saw lying on a shelf, and strapped it around her waist. "We can keep some food and water in here in here, just for when we need it," she said to Link. "Ready to go?"

"Ready," Link replied.

They both turned to leave the room, but Zelda stopped them, and rested a hand on Link's shoulder. "I know you now have a huge responsibility in your hands... but please. Take care of Tari. She's very special to me, like the younger sister I never had. And... I'm sure you'll find out soon enough just how very special she is."

Link nodded confidently. He pondered what Zelda said as he and Tari made their way back to his horse, ready for their new found adventure.


	8. We Could Use Some Help

_**Author's Note:**__ So... I'm going to try to finish at least one chapter a week. Maybe two, if I'm lucky. :3 And I'm sorry if this story seems terribly boring... It's picking up soon, I promise! This chapter, actually, has some awesome and important parts to it... And, it might be a bit long. Actually, from here on out, the chapters will probably be longer. So... Woo! REVIEW! :D Please? Thank you for reading my fic! I love my readers. ^_^_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

_

* * *

_

7

"We should be getting close to Kakariko Village," Tari said to Link. "Wait... What's..."

"Is something wrong?" Link asked, trying to focus on riding his horse.

"Link!" Tari screamed. "Over there! Look!"

Shocked and confused, Link turned to glance in the direction Tari was pointing. "What the-"

Link and Tari watched intently as they rode closer. A group of odd-looking creatures was attacking a man and woman, who were desperately trying to fight them off. The man swung his sword swiftly as it's red runes began to glow fiercely, emitting a powerful force. The beast jumped out of the way or the strange light and drove it's fist towards the young woman, who instinctively blocked it.

"Should we help them?" Link asked, his voice sounding a bit perplexed and panic-stricken.

"I've got this," Tari replied smoothly. She quickly grabbed the bow she had strapped to the back of her burgundy tunic, and pulled out three arrows. Link watched as she separated them through her fingers, pulled back the thick string, and sent the three arrows flying, each of them penetrating through a monster. After the three creatures fell dead, the two who remained stared in Tari's direction, and began running towards them.

"Big mistake," Tari muttered confidently, her bow ready. One at a time, she sent two arrows soaring through the air, piercing each of the beasts in their misshapen skulls.

Link stopped Epona abruptly, staring at Tari in utter amazement. "Woah!" he exclaimed. "How did you... That was... Wow..."

Tari blushed slightly. "I've been pretty good at shooting these things for years now." She carefully hopped off the horse. "We should probably go check on those two..."

"Oh, of course," Link agreed, following Tari.

"Disgusting little _vermin_," shouted the pale woman as Link and Tari approached the couple. She then looked up at the two. "We're grateful for your help," she said, a smile forming on her pale white face.

"Oh, it's no problem at all..." Tari began to say, but stopped as both she and Link stared at the young couple. The woman had long, bright orange hair that flowed gracefully down her shoulders. Her eyes were of fierce scarlet and gold, a very odd combination that neither Link or Tari had ever actually seen before. The man's hair was white as snow, and his eyes were completely blue. They almost appeared to glow. Their skin was whiter than that of any human they'd ever seen before, and delicate runes of bright, glowing turquoise were etched lavishly on both their skin and dark clothing.

"What _were_ those things?" asked the tall, light-haired man.

"Oh! Uhm... Bokoblins," Tari replied, slightly embarrassed for staring at them like that. "They were thought to have been destroyed many years ago... But I guess something has brought them back." Both Tari and Link new that it was the evil that was slowly forming in Hyrule once again that was causing all of this to happen.

The tall and pale woman giggled. "You can plainly see we're not from around here, can't you...?" she said.

Link and Tari both looked at each other a second, then turned back to the couple.

The man and woman both laughed. "It's a long story," said the man.

"We're Twili," the woman added.

Tari's eyes widened. "As in... from the Twilight Realm?"

"Great! You've heard of us!" the young woman teased. "Heh, indeed we are. My name is Midna. This is my husband, Blaine."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss," Blaine said kindly, and held out his long, thin hand. Tari grabbed it hesitantly, and blushed tremendously as Blaine kissed the back of her hand gingerly.

"Uhm...I'm Tari," she replied. "And this is my friend, Link."

"Um.. Hi," Link said slowly, shaking his hand as well, a bit irked at that kiss Blaine left on Tari's hand.

"Don't be so shy, you two," Midna said suddenly. "We won't bite."

_Well, you Twili sure flirt quite a bit_, Link thought, agitated.

"So... what brings you guys to Hyrule?" Tari asked. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Blaine smiled sweetly. "As I've mentioned before... It's quite a long story. But if you'd care to know, maybe you could... help us with our situation?"

* * *

"So you think this Zant guy has escaped to Hyrule..." Link muttered, in response to Blaine and Midna's story. The married royal couple had agreed to accompany Link and Tari on their journey to Kakario Village, and they were just about there. Epona was following them slowly. Tari mentioned that in Kakariko there was a small stable where she could be kept safe from harms way.

"It's the only logical explanation," Midna replied. "He's trying to steal the royalty from us, as he'd attempted to before, when I was just a young girl. Only this time... He's much stronger."

Blaine wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder. "I can only imagine what kind of havoc he will unleash upon both of our worlds."

"Link..." Tari said softly, a horrifying thought brewing in her mind.

"Yes?" Link asked delicately.

"What if Zant is involved in the evil here in Hyrule? What if he's somehow teamed up with that man, Ganondorf...?" She looked down at her feet and began fumbling with the teal colored stitching in the skirt of her dark red tunic.

Link stopped to look at Tari a moment. Her normally bright, jade colored eyes were filled with sadness and worry. He could see the pure anguish in her soft face, that he'd never seen before, not even after witnessing the attack of the castle that happened less than two hours ago. Link suddenly felt... different. He couldn't tell what it was, exactly, but he knew he had to be strong. He had to defend and save Hyrule from evil. And, no matter how strong she was, he had to protect Tari, at all costs.

"Tari..." he said gently, resting a soft hand on her small shoulders. "I hate to admit this, but it sounds pretty logical." He then lifted her chin delicately with two fingers, so he could look her in the eye. "But don't worry," he reassured her. "You and I are both strong. We can handle this. Everything... will work out."

Tari smiled sweetly, and wrapped her armed around his neck in a huge hug. "I know..." she said. "You're a great friend, Link."

He hugged her back tightly. "You too," he replied honestly.

"Ahem..!" Midna coughed. "You know, Mr. Hero, we could help you two find these Spiritual Stones you speak of..."

Link and Tari turned to face them, pulling away from their hug. "You would?" Link asked.

"Well," Blaine added, "in exchange for _your_ help in finding Zant..."

Link turned to look at Tari, who nodded slowly. "Sounds fair," Link said. "The more help, the better, I guess."

Midna smiled. "Great! So... Are we almost to this village? I'm a bit hungry."

"It's right up ahead," Tari replied. "Here, I'll go ahead and get Epona settled... I'm sure she could use some rest." She patted the beautiful brown horse's mane, and walked her ahead of the other three, through the gate leading to Kakariko Village.

* * *

"That a girl," Tari said to Epona softly as she led her through the gate, into the small stable. "Thanks for letting us keep her here, Renado."

"It's no problem at all, Tari," the dark haired man replied. "Especially if this is the horse of Hyrule's very own Hero."

"Speaking of which... I should probably go find him," she replied.

Renado smiled. "Of course," he responded happily. "Luda and I would love to meet him."

"Your daughter?" Tari wondered. "I haven't seen her since she was a baby!"

"You were quite young yourself, Tari," he replied with a chuckle. "I'm sure she remembers you." He sighed. "Those were the days... You, Kioshi, and your father, Haku. The three best archers in all of Hyrule, and you girls were only children!"

Tari smiled. "Oh, we couldn't have been _that_ great yet..."

"Tari!" shouted a voice.

"Is that him?" Renado asked.

Tari turned to see Link, followed by Midna and Blaine, who were carrying bags of what appeared to be fresh fruit. "Looks like they've been out shopping," Tari muttered humorously under her breath. "And yes. That would be our hero."

"Check out your man's new shield!" said Midna happily as the three approached Tari and Renado. "Only fifty rupees, can you believe it?"

Tari blushed at the "your man" comment, but ignored it. "Very nice, Link!" she said, looking at the sturdy wooden shield resting against his sword on his back.

"Eh, it'll work," Link replied modestly.

"Why don't the four of you come on inside," Renado offered. "I have some tea ready, if you'd like something to drink."

"Thanks, Renado, Tari said as she and the others stepped into Renado's home. "By the way, guys... This is Renado. He's the Shaman of the village. He and my father were great friends, so I've known him since I was little." She then turned to the tan, dark haired man. "Renado, I'd like you to meet Midna, Blaine, and our very own hero, Link."

Renado smiled kindly at the three. "Its a pleasure to meet you all. And I've been waiting for quite a while to meet you, young Hero. I thought you've never be discovered. I was a bit worried."

"Worried?" Link asked. "How long has this 'evil' been around?"

Renado poured hot jasmine tea into four small porcelain cups. "I've been sensing it for a few years now. The feeling only gets greater with time."

"You're senses definitely aren't deceiving you," Tari replied, handing out the cups of hot tea. "The castle was attacked today by a small Gerudo army."

Renado's brown eyes widened. "You're kidding. Is everybody alright?"

"Everything is under control so far," Tari replied. "A couple guards didn't make it, but they eventually got the few surviving Gerudo women to flee."

"Is everything okay, Father?" asked a small voice. They all turned to see a young dark-haired girl, who couldn't have been any older than twelve.

"Oh, um.. of course, Luda," replied Renado. "You remember Tari, don't you?" He put his hand on his daughter's small shoulders.

"Hello," Tari replied kindly, smiling sweetly.

Luda smiled and nodded. "I think so. I remember a red haired girl who used to play with Kioshi a lot when I was little..."

"That would be me!" Tari answered. "Speaking of Kioshi... We need her help."

"Ah. With the Spiritual Stones, I presume?" Renado questioned.

"You sure do know a lot about their plans," Midna said out of nowhere. "Are you sure you don't have mind reading abilities?"

Renado laughed. "No, Midna, I do not. I do, however, know many of the stories and legends of Hyrule that my elders have passed down to me. Including the stories of the Spiritual Stones needed to replenish the power of the Sword of Evil's Bane."

"The Master Sword..." Link muttered to himself.

"That would be the sword he's talking about," said a feminine voice. A thin, dark-haired Sheikah woman jumped down from the stairs above them and landed gracefully on her feet. She was dressed in a violet tunic with black boots, and had bandages covering her arms and the lower half of her face. "Great to see you again, Tari!"

Luda giggled softly, and Renado sighed. "Kioshi," he began, "must you do this every time we have company?"

"What?" Kioshi asked, playing innocent. "I like making surprise entrances."

Renado shook his head. "Link, Midna, Blaine... This is Kioshi. I've raised her since she was young, but as you can see... She's very independent."

"So... Who's this?" Kioshi asked Tari, motioning towards Link. "He's not bad, Tari..."

"Uhm..." Link mumbled, blushing a bit and beginning to feel rather uncomfortable.

"This is Link," Tari replied, laughing lightly. "He's the Hero, if you haven't already heard."

"I did in fact hear," Kioshi replied. "Very nice! Bet you can use that sword of yours pretty well, eh?"

Link looked off to the side, his face still a bit red. "Uh... Yeah," he answered slowly.

"Erm, why don't we just cut to the chase?" Blaine stated. "Miss Kioshi, is it? We need your help with finding these stones."

"Yeah," Tari added. "Mother says you'd know where to find the Sheikah Amethyst."

"I _do_ know where we could possibly find it. My friend Hio... You remember, that perverted and goofy boy who used to tease us? He's matured a bit since, but... His great great grandfather had possession of it, so he might know where it could have been hidden."

"Well, why don't we just go find him?" Midna said airily.

Kioshi sighed. "That's the only flaw in our plan. He's gone missing in Kokiri Forest... It's only been a few weeks... Other villagers think he'll return safely, but I get the feeling we should go look for him there. It's still a possibility that he could be in serious danger."

Link glanced over at Tari for a moment. "We needed to go to Kokiri Forest anyway," he said. Tari nodded in agreement.

"Then it's settled!" Kioshi exclaimed. "We'll head to Kokiri Forest together first thing in the morning. That will give us enough time to get some supplies together. Savvy?"

"Sounds like a plan," Link agreed.

"Feel free to spend the night here, if you'd like," Renado offered. "We have a nice-sized bedroom upstairs I use to treat patients. None of the beds are currently occupied."

Tari smiled. "Thanks so much, Renado."

"Of course," he replied kindly.


	9. Shadow Beasts

_**Author's Note:**__ If anybody would be interested in seeing a couple drawings of Tari and Kioshi, I have the Links (no pun intended) posted on my profile. :3 The one of Tari and Kioshi was done in crayon and sharpie, but I tried to make it look as good as I possibly could! The one of Tari by herself looks alright, though! You should check them out soon, and tell me what you think. :) This is kind of a short chapter, but only because the next one will be crazy long. ^^; So.. sorry if you don't like this one too much. Just had to get it out of the way! :P Review!_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

8

"Glad to see you've finally made it, Zant," said a cold, dark voice. "Come in."

"My apologies for taking so long, Lord Ganondorf," said Zant as he stepped into the dark room. "The dark Shadow Beasts I've created are everywhere, courtesy of the power you have leant me, sir."

"The World of Light will be in my hands soon enough," said the large, muscular man known as Ganondorf. He stood and stepped into the light, facing the evil Twilit being.

"And this will cause the Realm of Twilight to fall under my power, how?" Zant asked.

"You will find out soon enough. For now, just do as I order you. You will get what I promised you."

* * *

Link jumped as he felt a hand shake his shoulder gently. "Wha..?" he muttered sleepily.

"Did I startle you?" asked Tari, who was already awake and fully dressed.

Link laughed a bit. "Nah," he replied. "I've just been having this reoccurring nightmare."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tari said softly. "What was it about, if you don't mind telling me?"

"Some man... who kept trying to kill me. And I couldn't fight back, no matter how hard I tried." Link yawned, and rubbed the sleep from his tired blue eyes. "Did I oversleep?"

"A little," Tari answered. "But you looked like you needed a good night's rest, so I told everybody not to wake you up just yet."

Link smiled. "Thanks," he said, then exhaled a long sigh. "Hm... Wow..."

"Hm?" Tari asked. "Something the matter?"

Link looked off to the side. "It's just... One day, I'm a normal guy, living in a peaceful village with a job at the ranch... And the next, I find out I'm supposed to save all of Hyrule from this terrible fate that I don't even really know about yet."

Tari rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know, it does sound pretty crazy," she replied sympathetically. "But we can do this. And, after it's all over and done with... we can go back to our normal lives."

"Yeah," Link replied. "I just don't know when that will be."

"Just know that if you ever, ya know... feel lonely, or need someone to talk to... I'm here for you." Tari smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, Tari," Link replied. "You know... the same goes for you, too." He added that last part, remembering what Zelda had said the day before when she hinted about a certain "ability" Tari had. He really hoped one day she'd feel comfortable around him enough to tell him. _She can trust me..._

"Ehee," She giggled softly, almost as if she knew what Link was referring to. "Oh, Renado fixed some ham and eggs for breakfast, if you're hungry." She stood to leave. "I'll let you get ready."

Link watched intently as Tari walked out of the room. He observed the way her fiery red-gold hair shined in the sunlight pouring in through the window, how the teal colored sash tied around her waist swayed in the air with every step she took, how her footsteps were so smooth and light that she almost appeared to be floating through the room. Link dressed himself quickly after Tari closed the door shut behind her, then hurried downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

"You know where you're heading, right?" Renado asked. "Kokiri Forest is a long way south of here, deep within the woodlands, far beyond the Faron Province. It's not hard to lose your place..."

"We'll be fine," Kioshi replied, tying the bandages around the lower half of her face. They seemed to give her a much more mysterious look, which added to her dark appearance. "I know my way around Hyrule like the back of my hand."

Renado smiled. "I do sometimes forget how independent you really are, Kioshi," he replied. "It will be a long journey there... Are you sure you don't want to take your horse, Link?"

"Nah," Link replied. "Only two of us can fit on a horse, and, well... We're a pretty big group. It wouldn't exactly be fair to the others."

"Hm... Maybe we should split up a bit," Kioshi stated. "I prefer to be rather stealth, if you don't mind...?"

"I guess we _would_ look a bit less conspicuous..." Tari replied, strapping her bow across her back.

"Then it's settled," Blaine stated confidently. "Midna and I will follow Kioshi."

Kioshi slipped on a pair of fingerless, black leather gloves. "If you can keep up with me," she said rather darkly. Then, without question, she added, "Let's go."

* * *

"Is Kioshi always like that?"

As the two were walking through the lush, green trails of the forest, Tari turned to see Link looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "You mean... kind of mysterious?" she asked. "She's always kept to herself like that. It's honestly a Sheikah thing. My mother was, and still is, the same way."

"Are you?" Link asked curiously. "Because, to be honest, you seem really friendly towards everyone. She sort of... looks as though she doesn't trust most people."

Tari smiled. "Well, everybody has their secrets, I guess," she began, "but no, I'm really not. I may be half Sheikah, but... As I've mentioned before, I try to be what my father was. Ya know, before he was killed..."

"Hylian?" Link questioned.

Tari laughed loudly. "Well, I guess," she replied, still snickering. "But... My Dad... He was... special."

"You know," Link began, "I'm perfectly okay with waiting, because I haven't known you for very long... But one of these days, you'll have to tell me this huge special secret Zelda kept dropping ten-pound hints about."

Tari sighed. "Well, gee... Thanks, Zel..." she muttered under her breath. She then turned to face Link. "I'll show you, eventually," she said. "After all, we have a long journey ahead of us, so you'll be seeing a whole lot of me anyway." She let out a soft, quick giggle.

_I don't mind,_ Link thought to himself. Before he had the chance to comprehend that thought, another concern came to his attention. "Wait... _'Show?'_" _It's a physical trait?_

"TARI!" shouted a voice out of nowhere, interrupting their conversation.

The two looked ahead to see Kioshi, Blaine, and Midna encircled by a group of large, dark, almost transparent creatures. Their eyes were glowing red, and their jerky, unnatural movements seemed very bizarre and ominous. One of them wrapped a long, ghostly arm around around Midna's neck, causing her to cry out. Blaine immediately swung his sword at the beast as the glowing red runes in the blade emitted a powerful energy, both cutting into the monster's flesh and sending him flying backwards, into a tree.

"Come on," Link said confidently, drawing his sword and grabbing Tari's wrist firmly, dragging her behind him. They ran up to the group quickly.

"HiYAH!" Tari screamed as she whirled both daggers at a beast, penetrating it's skin deeply. Link drove his own blade into another shadowy being, pulled it out, then sliced its head clean off with one swift swing of his sword. Then, there was a slight _swoosh_ sound, and the others looked to see that Kioshi had sent three arrows flying into a few remaining demonic creatures.

"KeeeYAAAH!" shouted a young an unfamiliar voice. The group turned to see a young girl, who had driven a rather large knife into the neck of one of the eerie creatures. The small girl hopped off it's back and jumped onto the last untouched beast, jamming her knife through it's chest. Each of the monsters let out a loud, awful shriek, then they vanished completely. The group stopped and stared.

"You guys looked like you could've used a hand," said the girl. She had short, grassy green hair. Her eyes were blue and bright, and she was dressed completely in green.

Link looked at her in disbelief. "How...?"

"That was amazing..." Tari added, also a bit puzzled.

The girl laughed. "My name is Saria," she said kindly. "I guess it isn't every day you see a little girl stabbing monsters... I'm sorry if it startled you all."

"Not at all," Link replied. "If anything, it's... kind of impressive."

"You really gotta love a kid who can fight like that," Kioshi added. "So... I guess we can trust you."

"Kioshi..." Tari muttered to Kioshi under her breath. "Well, anyway, Saria... Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it," Saria replied kindly. "These things have been popping up randomly all over the Kokiri Forest. We have no idea what they are, but we've all gotten pretty good at defeating them all."

"Shadow Beasts," Midna uttered solemnly.

Link looked at Midna with wide eyes. "You know what these things are?"

Midna sighed deeply. "Years ago, when Zant tried to take over the Palace of Twilight for the first time, he brainwashed most of the Twili population. He made them his puppets. They... They all turned into... those."

Tari looked over at Link a moment. "I knew it..." she said, looking anxious.

Link rested a hand on her shoulder. "Tari..." he said softly.

"Well, this is just great," Kioshi said sarcastically. "Hio has disappeared, and we need him now more than ever. He has power over shadows... This would be no problem at all for him!"

"'Hio?'" asked Saria. "A Sheikah man named Hio came here a few weeks ago... He heard of our problem, and wanted to help."

Kioshi's stormy grey eyes lit up for the first time. "He's _here_?" she exclaimed. "Oh my Goddess, where is he?"

Saria looked down at her feet. "Well..." she began slowly, "he came to defeat the evil that has polluted the Great Deku Tree. If he doesn't succeed, our Deku Tree will die... And he's our leader... Our _father_..."

"We'll help you," Link said confidently.

"Of course," Tari added. "We'll defeat whatever evil is causing this." She then looked over at Kioshi. "And, we'll find Hio."

Kioshi smiled. "Of course we will," she replied.

Saria's childish face lit up. "You'd help us?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course," Blaine began, "in exchange for something..."

"Oh, right..." Link muttered. "Saria... Would you happen to know anything about the Kokiri Emerald? That's actually what we came here for." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, feeling a bit guilty for asking such a thing out of a young girl.

Saria looked off to the side. "Well... I'll tell you what. You guys follow me, if you're still willing to help. Let me take you to our village." The group followed as the young Kokiri girl led them deeper into the woodlands.

Kioshi then looked over at Blaine. "That's some sword you've got there. What's with that bright, red glow? And that powerful energy?"

Blaine smiled confidently. "It's the Royal Twili Blade, blessed with the dark, sacred magic of the Twili."

Suddenly, the group heard a slight rustling in the bushes beside them.

"What was that?" Kioshi asked quickly, arranging into fighting stance, completely forgetting about their conversation. "Who's there?"

"Eek!" Midna shrieked as a large Deku nut was thrown in her direction. "What in the world...!"

Out from the bushes stepped a small, round creature with tiny, yellow eyes. He looked at the group curiously, and made a light _coo_ noise. Kioshi stepped forward, as if to harm the creature, but Tari stopped her. "No, don't hurt him," she said quickly.

"He's just a Deku scrub," Saria added. "A baby one, at that." She giggled. "He won't hurt you. They just like to spit Deku nuts, is all."

The baby Deku scrub hopped up to Tari, and snuggled against her leg. "Aww, aren't you sweet!" Tari cooed as she picked him up. "See, Kioshi? He's harmless." The little creature nuzzled Tari's cheek lovingly.

"He _is_ kinda cute," Link added, ruffling the leaf-like hair on the baby's head. "I think he likes you, Tar!"

"Ehee!" Tari giggled, both at the Deku scrub, and at Link's little nick name for her, which she for some reason found cute. "I think I'll call you... Kiko," she said, tickling the baby's cheek. Kiko cooed and purred happily.

Midna crossed her arms to her chest. "As long as he doesn't spit anything at me again," she muttered.

"Our village is just up ahead," Saria said. "We should probably head to the Deku Tree first, and see what he has to say."

Link looked over at Tari a moment. "A talking tree?" he questioned. Tari shrugged, just as puzzled as he was.

"I've had enough strange things happen to me for one day," Blaine said. "I'm not too surprised."

The group, including little Kiko, followed Saria into the small village.


	10. The Great Deku Tree

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;) OH. And I changed the titles of each chapter... It was just bothering me because of the prologue, and how Ch. 1 was technically Ch. 2... O_o_

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9

The group stopped in front of a large, leafy structure, that appeared to be a wall of bushes and flowers. "Right this way," Saria said, motioning towards a tiny opening at the bottom of the brush wall. One by one, they squeezed through the tiny crawl space after the young Kokiri girl.

"Welcome to our village," Saria said courteously.

Kioshi made it through nimbly, without a scratch. Link grabbed Tari's hand to help her through the child-sized crevice as Midna and Blaine stumbled in after them, practically tripping over little Kiko. The young Deku baby then hid behind Link's leg, sensing Midna's negativity towards him. The five adults then scanned their surroundings slowly. They noticed that every single dweller of the Kokiri Forest was a young child, each accompanied by a small, glowing fairy. "Are there no adults...?" Link asked slowly.

Saria led them forward. "Of course not," said an airy voice that appeared to be coming from someone other than Saria. "None other than you all, and the young Sheikah man you're looking for." A tiny fairy fluttered out from under the collar of Saria's green shirt and danced gracefully in the air above her head. "You don't know much about the Kokiri, do you, travelers?" asked the fairy in a light, dainty voice.

"Be kind, Nisa," Saria said sternly to the bright lavender-colored fairy. "They've come to help us."

"So I heard," replied Nisa. "And you're also after our Emerald."

Link averted his eyes to the side. "Uhm... Yes," he replied.

"Look," Kioshi began harshly, cutting to the chase, "one of my closest friends is lost in that Deku Tree of yours. We'll help you, but I _need _to find him. _Now_."

"And... we _do_ kind of need that Emerald..." Tari added slowly, knowing it was a lot to ask.

Saria nodded. "Right this way, then."

* * *

"Greetings, dear heroes," said an old, weary voice. "I knew... you would come."

Link stepped forward, studying the Great Deku Tree. His wooden face was worn and full of age, as was the hoarse, weak baritone of his voice. His somber expression seemed hopeless, inducing a great sense of sorrow amongst Link and the others. "Tell us what we need to do," Link requested somberly, knowing what could become of the guardian of the Kokiri children. His voice was almost incoherent.

The Great Deku Tree closed his dark, wooden eyes. "Please... Defeat this... evil beast... inside me..." he sighed wearily. "There's not... much time left."

"Please," Saria pleaded. A tear began to form in her sky blue eyes. "He's raised us, and kept us safe for so long..."

Tari knelt down beside the young girl. "Don't worry Saria," she whispered softly, resting a hand on her small shoulder. "We'll take care of this. I promise."

"Of course we will," Midna said kindly, also trying to reassure Saria. "Your Deku Tree will be fine."

Saria looked up at Tari, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Thank you," she replied honestly.

"Just stay strong," Tari said.

A sudden, horrific shriek was heard from behind them, alerting the group. A few familiar shadowy beings emerged, encircling them. "Shadow Beasts!" Blaine shouted, his sword ready. The Shadow Beasts began to appear all around, out of thin air. Many Kokiri children pulled out various weapons, ready for a fight.

"Tari, Kioshi, you come with me," Link commanded. "Blaine, you and Midna help those kids out."

Midna's scarlet eyes widened. "But... there are so _many_!"

"Come on!" Blaine hollered as he grabbed Midna by her arm, the two of them running towards the demonic creatures.

"Alright, Deku Tree," Kioshi demanded, ignoring the commotion behind her, "we need in."

The tree said nothing in response. His face, however, slowly began to disappear, and a tall opening suddenly emerged. Link, Tari, and Kioshi ran inside without further thought. The entrance behind them closed almost immediately.

"HIO!" Kioshi hollered desperately, hoping for a response. Nothing but the echo of her voice. "He _has_ to be here..." She sighed. "Well, with any luck, once we defeat this 'evil' thing, those Shadow creatures will disappear. From Kokiri Forest, anyway..."

"Let's hope," Link replied. "Maybe that Emerald is in here, too."

The group looked around a bit. A few torches had been lit high up on the wooden walls. In front of them was nothing of much importance. Only the endless tall vines crawling high up on the walls, or an occasional insect skittering by. High above was a ledge, with more lit torches.

"So... where do we go?" Tari questioned. "There doesn't appear to be any-" Tari suddenly lost her footing, and realized she was falling fast. "Gaaahhhh!" she cried reaching out in a hopeless effort to find something to grab on to. Looking up, she realized that the huge whole she'd fallen through had been hidden by a gigantic spider web, which would explain why she missed it completely. Or at least, it _looked_ like a spider web.

"TARI!" Link shouted, scared out of his mind. _Oh Goddess, what if she doesn't make the landing..._ He bit his lip, trying not to think about it.

_Come on, Tari!_ Tari thought to herself as she fell. _Use them! Use your-_

"No," she muttered softly to herself. _The others can't know. Not yet._

"Hang in there, Tari!" Kioshi hollered down to her. "We're coming! Uh... Eventually!"

Preparing herself for the worst, Tari clamped her eyes shut. _For the love of Din, please let this be a quick and painless landing... or a quick and painless death..._ She suddenly heard a loud splash, and felt an icy cold sensation encircle her entire body. "Ha..." she gasped, catching her breath. Glancing at her surroundings, Tari noticed she was in a rather large body of water. Further ahead, she saw two different passages, each lit by small lanterns hanging on the walls. "G-guys!" she shouted, shivering slightly. "I think I know where we need to go!"

Hearing her voice caused Link to exhale a tremendous sigh of relief. "Thank Farore," he uttered to himself, wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead.

Kioshi smiled, also quite appeased herself. "You always were somewhat clumsy, Tari," she said lightly, trying to add a bit of humor.

Tari looked up to see both her friends' faces pop up out of nowhere it seemed, looking down at her. "Everything okay down there?" Link asked loudly.

"Yeah!" Tari shouted back. "It's pretty safe to come on down... Just be prepared for ice cold water!"

"Water?" Kioshi wondered aloud. "Why would there be water inside of a _tree_?"

Link stood, ready to jump. "Does _anything_ make much sense anymore?" he asked humorously. Before she could reply, he leaped into the air, and fell through the torn web beneath them.

Kioshi let out a dark laugh as she watched him fall. "No, I guess not," she said to herself. She, too, fell through the large hole in the ground.

Tari heard two piercing screams, each accompanied by a loud _splasssh!_ sound as she climbed out of the blistering cold water. "Quite exhilarating, isn't it?" she said rather sarcastically, helping Kioshi out of the water, followed by a shivering Link.

"I could go again," Kioshi replied casually, wringing out her soaked violet tunic.

"I'd rather not..." Link muttered, still shaking from the cold temperature of the water.

The three of them stood there a moment, pondering to themselves which passage to take, and what they'd do to escape. If they made it out alive, that is. None of the three forgot about _that_ possibility.

"Hm..." Tari said thoughtfully. "I guess we should split up. At least _one _of these halls has to lead to our evil beast, right?"

"Have fun," Kioshi stated, heading towards one of the empty hallways. "I'm going to find Hio."

"Well, try to find your way back here, if you think you chose the wrong-"

"I'll be fine, Tari," she heard Kioshi mutter from down the long corridor. "Hio? Hioooo!" Her voice gradually softened as she walked on, then soon disappeared.

Link and Tari stood there a moment. "Guess it's just you and me," Tari said. "Let's check this-"

"Tari," she heard Link said quickly as he grabbed her arm. "Wait."

She stared at him a moment, watching as the intense expression on his face softened to the kind young man who rescued and cared for her days before. _Something about him_..._ makes me feel comforted_, she thought.

"I just..." Link stammered, looking fixedly at the young woman, searching for words. _You can trust me, Tari_, he thought. _ I'll always be there. I'll protect you, whether you need me or not. I'm... _Link wished he could say these words, but for some reason, they wouldn't come out. _I'm... going to lose my mind._

"Yes?" Tari asked patiently.

Link sighed. "I'm just... really glad you're okay," he said honestly, trying to temporarily forget about his previous thoughts. "I was so worried that you'd be... you know..." His expression turned solemn.

His spirits were lifted a bit when Tari gently smoothed some of his wet and messy blond hair out of his face. "I always have a way of getting myself into trouble," she said. "But... I know that if I can't get out of it on my own... you'll always be there." She giggled lightly, as if that were a joke. "Come on."

Link watched a moment as she walked ahead of him down the empty corridor. He knew there was something odd about her, other than the secret she wouldn't tell anybody. But it was something good. It made him feel happy, to say the least. It's possible that he could have just been relieved to know that he didn't have to complete this entire journey by himself...

_No. It's much more than that_. He smiled to himself, and continued after her down the long hall.

"Take a lantern off the wall," Tari said, looking behind her at Link. "I don't know how dark the rest of this corridor is going to be. We can also keep them around for future use, just in case." He noticed she was carrying one as well, and grabbed the lantern hanging closest to him.

* * *

"Hio?" Kioshi called, still desperate for a reply. Nothing. "Urgh," she groaned, becoming frustrated.

She let out a long sigh and continued forward, making her way through the twists and turns of the confusing hallway. At that point, she honestly didn't care if she'd made a wrong turn, and wouldn't find the monster they had to defeat in time. _Hio is strong. He would have made it out by now._ She clenched her teeth tightly, both angry and deeply worried.

_Something is wrong._

She loved him. She could admit it honestly and truthfully, without worrying about her pride, or trying to save herself the embarrassment. Hio might have been a total moron at times, but she realized at that moment how much he'd always meant to her, and how badly she needed him. "DIN!" she cursed, punching her strong fist into the wall beside her, not caring about the pain. She couldn't even feel any physical pain.

_Hio... Where are you?_ Kioshi shut her eyes tight, trying to prevent any tears from forming.

A sudden noise made her jump. Holding her breath, she stepped forward slowly, careful not to be heard. She heard the loud stomping noise again. The sound resembled something along the line of a thunder clap, mixed with whatever a giant's footsteps would sound like, she guessed. Taking a few steady, quiet steps forward, she listened more intently. She could hear a loud hissing sound, then a few tiny little cracking noises. _What is going on...?_

As silently and slowly as she could, Kioshi turned her head and peered around the corner. Before her was a large chamber, that smelled of dirt and mold. A tremendously large figure moved slowly. She couldn't tell what it was. _Some kind of giant arachnid, maybe?_

That made sense, because there were smaller forms below it, in the shape of large eggs. _Well, that would explain the cracking sound, I guess._

The gigantic spider-like creature froze a moment, then turned its head. Kioshi then noticed a huge, glowing yellow eye open slowly.

It was staring directly at her.

* * *

Somewhat bored, Tari twirled her thin fingers through her golden red hair mindlessly. "I can't help feeling like we're lost," she admitted.

"I hate to agree with that statement," Link began, "but... I totally agree with that statement."

Tari's mouth cracked into a slight grin. She was glad that Link was able to brighten the mood a bit. "I'm just... scared we're going to be too late." She gulped. "And... that The Deku Tree will die..."

"Nah, he'll be fine," said a voice from behind them. "He's been holding on strong for a while now. Heh. Haven't seen you in _years,_ Red."

Link and Tari glanced behind them to see a tall, lean man with shaggy, light blond hair. "Oh my Goddess..." Tari said happily. "HIO! You're... You're alive!"

The blond Sheikah man laughed. "Am I ever. This place is _crazy._"

"But..." Link stammered, "we assumed you've been down here for weeks..."

"Nah. Only since last night," Hio replied. "I mostly stayed with the kids up there for the past couple weeks, trying to fend off those creepy shadow things. We finally figured out that the problem was coming from down here..."

Tari smiled. "Never thought I'd say this, but I really am glad you're here."

A cocky grin formed on Hio's face. "I didn't think you'd ever say it either, Red."

Link thought a moment. He assumed he called her "Red" because of her gingery hair. But more importantly, he recalled Kioshi saying something about how Hio can control shadows...

"So, um..." Link began, "what's all this talk about you being able to control shadows?" He for some reason felt a bit dumb asking that.

Hio smiled. "That, my friend, will have to wait until we get out of this mess. That Deku Tree may be strong, but I guess he can't keep holding on forever." He walked ahead of Link and Tari a moment, as if leading them somewhere. "Ready to face Queen Ghoma?"

Tari and Link exchanges glances. "'Ghoma,' as in... the spider-like creature?" Tari questioned. "I didn't think they were that harmful..."

"They usually aren't," Hio replied. "It's the Darkness that's polluting Hyrule... It's possessing creatures like the Gohmas. It's probably what's causing those dark shadow-like creatures to appear."

"Shadow Beasts, is apparently the technical term," Link said. "We've made friends with a couple Twili who say they know of such monsters."

"Hm..." Hio muttered to himself thoughtfully. "That isn't good... Evil in just Hyrule is bad enough, but when you bring the Realm of Darkness into it..."

Tari sighed to herself as they continued to follow Hio through the many confusing turns of the corridor. "You've heard the stories of the Legendary Hero, right?" she asked Hio. She glanced over at Link and smiled. "You know, the one man who is destined to save Hyrule from evil, and everything?"

Link grinned, knowing exactly where Tari as going with her story.

"Yes," Hio replied, "in fact I do. I know that when this 'hero' is finally discovered, he'll have one hell of a time trying to recover this mess."

"Well, I think I've done pretty well so far," Link said rather confidently.

Hio turned to face him, his dark amethyst eyes wide. "_You_ are the hero?" he asked, a bit shocked.

"The one and only," Tari replied. "I discovered him just yesterday."

Hio blinked a few times, then held out his hand. "It's.. well, I guess it's an honor to meet you, uhm..."

"Link," the young hero replied, shaking Hio's hand.

"Great to meet you, Link," Hio said kindly. "Well... honestly, I'd love to get to know you a bit more, but... we should probably find that Queen Gohma..."

The three of them froze when they heard a piercing scream from just up ahead.

"Oh my... Kioshi!" Tari cried, running forward, followed by Link.

Hio gasped. "Kioshi's here?" he asked, both happily and anxiously.

"Just... Come on!" Tari shouted impatiently, grabbing Hio by the arm and dragging him along after her.


	11. Fun Festives

_**Authour's Note:**__ So sorry for the long wait for an update! I can't tell you how busy I have been with both commissions and requests on DeviantArt, and my own sucky personal problems. I won't bore you with them though ^_^ Once again, SO SORRY for the wait! I haven't given up on this story, I promise! Life just sucks sometimes ^^; hehe! Love to you all :3_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

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10

"Gah..." Kioshi panted, trying her best to free herself from the giant creature's grasp. Its massive claw clenched itself tighter around the young woman, causing her to cry out in pain. "Ung...!" _My bow would really come in handy right now,_ she though to herself. _It would be nice if I could reach it... Maybe..._

Though her arms were clamped tightly against her sides through the monster's claws, Kioshi tried the best she could to fish for her knife she had strapped to her belt. _Come on, just a little further down..._ She felt a small pang of hope as she lightly touched the tip of the handle, but the beast suddenly shook it's claw, causing her knife to fall from her belt. She listened in defeat as she heard the small _tink_ of her weapon hitting the ground beneath her.

The creature's claws flew backward, then quickly sent Kioshi flying. "Gaahhh!" she cried, praying that she wouldn't crash painfully into the stone wall. She was slightly relieved when she landed on something bouncy, and rather soft. "Phew," she panted, trying to raise her hand to wipe some sweat off her forehead. _What..?_

Her hand was stuck. It wouldn't budge. Glancing around quickly, she saw various white, silk-like strands woven together, holding her in place. She had landed in the center of this huge arachnid's web.

She struggled and fought, squirming like mad to free herself from the web's sticky strands. The arachnid beast stepped towards her, its huge yellow eye glaring venomously into the depths of her soul, it seemed.

Kioshi fiercely stared back, no matter how terrified she really was. _Well, Hio,_ she thought, _I guess this is the end of both of us..._

"Kioshi!" shouted a strong, masculine voice. "Hang in there!"

The trapped woman looked down to see three familiar figures standing at the entrance to the chamber; Tari, Link, and...

"HIO!" Kioshi cried, beyond relieved, despite her current situation. "You're alright!"

Hio sighed. "Mind if I borrow this, Red?" he asked Tari, and took her lantern so quickly she didn't even have a chance to reply. The Sheikah man ran towards the web that held Kioshi in place. With a swift swing of the lit lantern, the whole thing caught fire and dissolved quickly, freeing Kioshi.

The large Ghoma had forgotten about Kioshi, and was now eyeing Link and Tari. Link was completely lost, but there was no time to think. At all. All they could do was just... react.

Tari pulled out her bow, with a brilliant idea. She snagged Link's lantern and lit two arrows on fire, then quickly aimed at the gigantic arachnid's eye. The flaming arrows pierced the beast's eye deeply, causing her to let out an awful sounding screech as she suddenly fell, weakened and completely blinded.

As Tari, Hio, and Kioshi began to fight of some of the young Ghoma babies that had recently hatched, Link hopped onto Queen Ghoma's leg, and hoisted himself up on her back. _Hope this works..._

He raised his sword, and hurled it down into the monster's spine. She screeched and howled yet again, thrashing about. Trying not to get flung off her back, Link held on tightly to his sword that was still wedged deep in her body. He pulled it out quickly, and stabbed the beast once more. This time, though, he went for her neck. The blade went straight through, and the Ghoma hissed, then suddenly stopped moving. Immediately afterward, the baby Ghomas did the same. They stopped moving... then began to shrivel up, until they turned to ash. Link hopped off her back, sword in hand. The Queen Ghoma then did the same; shriveled up into a mass of death, then faded into ash.

"Wow..." Tari uttered softly. "Did we..."

"We did," Link replied with a smile.

"Oh, Hio..." Kioshi cried, hugging her friend tightly. "Don't ever do that again... You had me so worried!"

Hio smiled kindly, holding her close. "You were actually worried about me?" he said somewhat jokingly.

Kioshi sighed. "Of course, you idiot." The two laughed lightly, both happy that the Ghoma was defeated, and that they were finally reunited.

Ignoring the other two, Link looked at Tari a moment. "So... ready to get out of here?"

"Definitely," Tari said immediately. Link found the immensely relieved look on her face to be quite amusing, and laughed lightly. He was also pretty relieved, himself.

The group finally made their way back towards the large hole they'd fallen through earlier. Hio pointed out the vines crawling high up the walls, that enabled them to climb back up to the entrance.

* * *

"What...?" Midna muttered to herself. She, Blaine, Saria, and three other Kokiri children had been encircled by about a dozen Shadow Beasts, but out of nowhere, they had disappeared. They literally vanished into thin air.

"They're gone..." Blaine said slowly. He and his wife stood frozen for a second, wondering what had happened.

Saria then beamed. "You guys... They did it! That's why the beasts have gone... Link and his friends have destroyed the main scorce of the evil... And the Deku tree will be okay!"

Soon enough, an opening appeared on the front end of the Deku Tree, and out stepped Link, Tari, Hio, and Kioshi.

"Well!" Blaine said, rather impressed. "You guys actually did it! And I see Miss Kioshi has found her friend..." He chuckled lightly, noticing how the blond Sheikah man was holding Kioshi's hand gingerly.

Kioshi blushed intensely and glared at Blaine, not saying a word.

"You did it!" cried a few childish voices. A large group of green-clad children ran up to them happily, including Saria.

"You guys saved our father," Saria said to them, grateful. She stood in front of Tari and Link, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Tari knelt down and wiped the tears from her small cheeks, then ruffled the young girl's hair. "He'll be just fine now," she said happily. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise as she felt Saria jump into her arms, giving her a tight hug. Tari giggled softly as she hugged her back.

The two of them then noticed a familiar little Deku scrub baby scurrying up to them. "I kept Kiko safe while you were gone," Saria said as she lifted Kiko and cuddled him.

"Thanks," Tari replied, scratching Kiko on his head.

As everyone else conversed, Link noticed a face begin to form on the Deku Tree as the entrance closed. The rest of them seemed to finally notice too, and froze for a moment to listen.

"Young Hero," said the Great Deku Tree. His voice seemed much stronger already. "You and your friends have successfully defeated the evil that lurked inside me. For that, the children and I thank you. All of you. I will fully recover in due time. I am grateful."

Link glanced over at Tari, and the two of them exchanged a proud smile.

The Great Deku Tree continued. "For your efforts, Link... I think it is best that you receive the treasure which you seek..."

"The emerald?" Link asked slowly.

"Yes," the Deku Tree responded. "Tonight, we shall hold a festival, to honor you young heroes and celebrate the defeat of the beast. There, young Saria will present you with our precious Kokiri Emerald."

Saria blushed, her blue eyes wide. "Me...?" she asked, with a smile.

The Great Deku Tree's mouth formed a kind smile. "Saria, you have proven yourself very loyal, and your strength and bravery helped these heroes out greatly. I thank you, too, Saria."

Saria smiled widely, both confident and embarrassed about being recognized in such a way by the Great Deku Tree. Many of the other Kokiri children congratulated her with hugs and cheery words of encouragement and praise.

"Once again," the Great Deku Tree began, "Thank you, Link."

* * *

"Wow, these Kokiri kids can sure throw a party," Blaine said, sipping on his drink. He wasn't sure what it was, but he enjoyed the fruity taste.

"They got it set up pretty quickly, too," Hio added. "These children are pretty impressive..." He motioned to the nice decorations and streamers the children had set up, all made of colorful flowers and vines. The bright, fluttering fairies dancing about the air added to the beauty, and lit up the darkening sky.

In his hand, Link held the tiny treasure that they'd come all this way for. The Kokiri Emerald. The green stone was surrounded in a gold frame in the shape of the Kokiri symbol that they had seen etched randomly across all of the Kokiri Forest, and on the children's clothing. Struggling to keep his thoughts together, he tuned out the loud laughter of Blaine and Hio as they made random jokes to entertain the girls.

_What a day..._ He thought to himself. He looked all around him, taking in the scenery of the Kokiri Festival. Random children were everywhere, dancing about to music a few other kids had been playing on wooden flutes. Saria and a blond haired girl were playing with Kiko. Hio was tickling Kioshi, purposely trying to irritate her. It must have been working, because she smacked him on the arm. Blaine had gone with Midna to get another drink... Where was Tari?

He stood, then walked around a bit, wondering where she was. He also wondered to himself _why_ he was so curious where she went. _Well, she _is_ a good friend. Is there something wrong with having good friends?_

Link must not have been thinking too clearly as he walked, because he ended up in an empty clearing in the forest, quite far away from the party. He then heard the sound of rippling water. A stream near by, perhaps?

He walked a bit further, and heard something else. Something very calming, and beautiful... It sounded like... music? As Link inched closer to the source of the sound, he could tell more clearly that it wasn't coming form an instrument. Someone was singing.

Link finally saw a small pond in the clearing. Also, sitting on a wooden pier with her bare feet dangling in the water, was Tari. Link stood silently, listening to her lovely song. He wondered what it was. Did her mother sing it to her? Did she make it up on her own?

He must have zoned out a bit, because he didn't notice that she had completely stopped singing. Tari's soft giggle finally snapped him out of his trance. "How long have you been watching me?" she asked. The tone of her voice sounded odd. Link couldn't tell if she was being suspicious, or just kidding around.

Link blushed deeply, his blue eyes wide. "Er..." he mumbled, becoming very flustered. "I wasn't... I mean, I was just kinda... ya know, out for a walk, and..."

"Out for a walk?" Tari asked with a grin. "So you're not one for huge events either, huh?"

Link walked toward her. "Honestly, not really," he replied. "I mean, it was fun and all... But I'm a fan of peace and quiet myself." He removed his brown boots and tossed them aside, sitting beside her on the pier. The cool water felt nice on his bare feet. "Uhm..." he uttered, trying to think of something to say. "So... that was a pretty song you were singing..." He blushed lightly and averted his gaze. "You have... y'know. A nice voice."

Tari giggled, blushing lightly as well. "Thanks," she replied. "I like singing. It calms me down."

"Did you think up that song by yourself?" Link asked.

"Actually, it... well..." Tari began slowly. "My father taught it to me... His mother, my Gran... She used to sing it to him a lot. When I was young, he'd sing it to me at night, to help me sleep. My mother tried to sing it to me too, but... to be honest, it was nothing like when Dad sang it..." She laughed lightly at that last part.

There was a slight pause as Link pondered this. "I bet you really miss him," Link said softly.

"I do," Tari replied. "Very much. But I've learned so much from him... I feel like I can almost carry on his duties. I want to do what he never could."

Link smiled. "I know you can," he said. "You're very skilled. Actually..." He stopped a moment, thinking about how to word his next statement.

"Hm?" Tari questioned.

"Uhm... I just wanted to thank you for your help back there. I couldn't have defeated that Ghoma without you, Tar."

_That nickname again,_ Tari thought with a smile. "I'm glad I could help, Link," she said. "But I _know_ you have what it takes to fight, even without my help."

Link blushed a bit, wondering if she actually meant that as a compliment. He then pondered her statement as the two of them sat by the pond and watched the night fall. _In due time,_ Link thought. He glanced over at Tari, who looked at him the exact same time. _I think for now, I'll just enjoy this._


	12. The Bug Kingdom

_**Author's Note:**__ I made this chapter a bit long and introduced some new characters, to make up for being kind of AWOL for a while. Long waits for updates probably equal angry viewers. ^-^; heh... My bad. Honestly, I've just had a lot on my mind. I'm hoping to start college soon, and I've been trying to look for a job. Also, some bad things are going on right now, but, eh. I'll live, I hope! Anywho, enjoy, and review! And if you have any helpful suggestions or constructive criticism, I'm always willing to listen. :3 Love to you all!_

_DISCLAIMER- Legend of Zelda© Nintendo. I don't own anything having to do with Legend of Zelda. I bought the games and a few manga here and there, and that's about it. ;)_

* * *

11

"Once again, thank you so much for saving the Great Deku Tree," Saria said gratefully to the group. "We'll all be sad to see you go..."

Link smiled kindly. "I'm sure we'll be back again soon," he said.

"Of course!" Tari agreed, hugging little Kiko one last time. "Take care of my little deku buddy for me!"

Kiko purred, and Saria giggled softly. "Sure thing," she said. "Well... I guess for now, this is goodbye." She put on a brave smile, though she knew she'd really miss her new heroic friends. "We wish you luck on your journey!"

"Thank you, little dear!" Midna said happily to the young girl.

"Later, kiddo!" Hio said, ruffling Saria's green hair.

The group one by one crawled through the small crevice that led to the rest of the woodlands. Link felt something tug at his arm a moment, and he turned around quickly to see the young Kokiri girl flashing an encouraging smile at him. "I know you can save Hyrule," Saria said, her blue eyes sparkling. "Just as you saved our home."

Link grinned. "Thanks," was all he could think to say. He followed the others through the opening in the brush wall, pondering what the young girl had said.

* * *

"Lord Ganondorf," said the voice of a young man, who couldn't have been much older than twenty years of age. "You called?"

Ganondorf turned slowly, eyeing the man. He was like a walking shadow. Every one of his features was completely black; his sword, his tunic, even his skin. The only exceptions were his silver hair, and glowing red eyes. "Yes, Dark," Ganondorf finally said. "Good to see you were a success."

Dark Link scowled. "Don't talk to me as if I'm some inhuman piece of work," he said harshly.

The sneer on Dark Link's face immediately disappeared when Ganondorf grabbed him by the neck and pushed him up against the dark, stone wall. "Dear Shadow boy," he began, his voice low and dark. "You work for _me_. You will do as _I_ command. And I _command_ you to find your human counterpart and bring him to me, _alive_. The red head, too. We will need her."

"W-what about the others?" Dark Link strained to ask, having a difficult time speaking with the large Gerudo man's hand clamped around his throat.

"Kill the two Twili," Ganondorf said. "I rightly do not care what happens to the Sheikah pair... Killing them would be a waste valuable time." The huge, muscular man glared into Dark Link's red eyes. "And if you ever speak to me like that again, you shadow... I will make you wish you were never brought into this world." He let go of Dark Link's neck, and stormed out of the room, slamming the large door behind him.

"As you wish," Dark Link muttered rather sarcastically, rubbing his sore neck.

* * *

"I'm getting rather tired..." Midna muttered aloud. "Do you think we can set up camp for the night?"

"Come on, we're not even half way outta the woods yet!" Hio replied. "How can you be tired?"

The group had been traveling for about two hours. They were hoping to head back to Kakariko, for more supplies before they set out for the next spiritual stone. They didn't know which one they'd need to search for next, however. To Link, it didn't matter what order they found them in, just so long as they have them. But at the same time, he wanted to find them as quickly as he could. He found it very logical to search in the regions closest to them, if at all possible. Perhaps they'd find the Sheikah Amethyst in Kakariko? If not, Death Mountain was very close. The Goron Ruby should be there.

"Link, you awake over there?"

Link practically jumped hearing his name, snapping out of his trance. "Oh! Uh... Sorry," he sputtered. "What's going on?"

Kioshi rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mr. Hero. Focus," she teased. "Look. Over there."

Ahead of them, tucked deep within the lush, green forest, was a small cabin. Smoke was slowly swirling out of the chimney, signaling that someone must have been living there.

Blaine crossed his arms to his chest, as if he were pondering something. "I think we should speak with whoever lives here," he finally said. "I'm sure if we explain ourselves and tell them of our, um.. 'fate,' if you will... they will gladly give us a safe and warm place to sleep for the night."

"...Wait a minute," Tari piped in. "You can't just walk up to some stranger and ask to spend the night..."

Link glanced over at Tari, then at Midna and Blaine, who were staring at Tari with rather bewildered expressions. "Tari's right," he said. "We don't know who lives there. First of all, it's, well... kind of rude to ask that of a complete _stranger._ Second, what if..."

"What if they _know_ we're trying to find the spiritual stones?" Kioshi added harshly, as if she'd just read Link's mind. "There's still a possibility that they might want to kill us." She placed her hands on her hip as she glared at the Twili couple.

Kioshi and Midna continued to bicker, Midna insisting that she needed a warm bed, and Kioshi telling her to toughen up. Link tuned them out, and turned to look at the small cabin.

He then noticed the door open slowly, and a figured stepped out. "Hello, there!" said a kind and airy voice. It was a young girl, who couldn't have been much older than eleven or twelve. Her golden hair was tied up into two pigtails, and she wore a lovely aqua-colored dress with a matching tiara-like headband. "You travelers look a bit lost. Could I be of assistance?" The girl stepped out a little further, making it easier to see her childish facial features. She curtsied politely, and giggled.

"Ah, yes," Blaine began confidently, "we have a favor to ask of you, Miss. Would you mind if-"

"Blaine!" Kioshi shouted, trying to keep her voice low so only he could hear her. "She's just a young girl..."

The small girl smiled once again. "You all would like a place to stay for the night, wouldn't you!" she exclaimed happily. "I'll go tell my maid that you all will be joining us for dinner tonight!" She skipped back up to her cabin, then looked back at them once more. "Oh, and my name is Princess Agitha. Ehee!"

"That was easier than I thought," Hio uttered, a single eyebrow raised.

* * *

"I really do hope you all enjoyed your meal," Agitha's kind, middle-aged maid said. Her name was Marcel.

"It was great!" Tari exclaimed. "You're a fabulous cook."

Marcel beamed. "Why thank you!" she replied happily, picking up each of their emptied plates from the dinner table.

"We really should be thanking you," Link said, smiling sweetly.

The dark haired maid patted him on the shoulder. "Anything for Hyrule's very own hero, and his friends!" Marcel was still grinning. "I honestly can't believe you all are _here_, in my very own home!" She took the dirty dishes and walked out of the room, still mumbling happily to herself about how thrilled she was to meet them all, Link in particular.

"So, Miss Agitha," Midna began. "You called yourself... _Princess_, earlier? You are a princess?"

Agitha giggled softly. "Yes! Princess Agitha, of the bug kingdom!"

Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing, and stared at the young girl.

"Erm... _Bug_ kingdom...?" Kioshi questioned.

"Uh huh!" Agitha answered. "I collect insects, and care for them all. They're like my children." The young girl stood. "Come on, I'll show you!"

The group stood, and followed the blond girl. Link looked over at Tari a moment, an eyebrow raised. "Interesting little girl, huh?"

Tari laughed softly. "Well, I guess she'll at least keep us entertained..."

Agitha led them through the back door of her home, into a small clearing, filled with bushes and colorful flowers. Agitha stood in front of the group and spread her arms wide. "This... is my Bug Kingdom."

All around the clearing were small, golden insects, that almost appeared to glow. There were so many that the woods surrounding them began to sparkle, lighting up the darkening sky. "It's really quite pretty, Agitha," Midna said, glancing around in awe. "There are so many of them..."

"Odd thing to collect, I guess," Tari said to Link. "But it's so pretty..." A golden butterfly fluttered towards her, and landed on her shoulder.

"Yeah..." Link began slowly, watching as Tari lifted the small butterfly onto her fingers, bringing it to her lips for a gentle kiss. "Beautiful..." It took him a moment to realize he wasn't exactly thinking about the scenery as he'd said that. _Wait, what just happened...?_ He blushed a bit and looked away, shaking the thought from his head.

"Ooh, I know..." Agitha said excitedly, sitting cross-legged on a large rock that circled a small garden, along with many other similar sized rocks. "How about a nice story, before we get settled for the night?"

"Eh, sure," Kioshi said, sitting down beside the young girl. "You're a pretty unique little girl, Agitha. I'm sure you'd tell some amazing stories."

"Unless she meant for _us_ to tell the story," Hio said, taking a seat beside Kioshi and playing with her long, black hair. "I have a pretty good one, if anybody would be interested."

Agitha's small, freckled face lit up with excitement. "Oh, please tell!"

The rest of the group agreed to stay for Hio's story. They all sat down in a circular formation, surrounding Hio, the storyteller. "Now as you all know," the blond man began, "there are many, _many_ different races of people, scattered about Hyrule. You have the Sheikah, like Kioshi and I... the Hylians like our very own Hero over there... the Ordonians, the Gorons, the Zoras, the Kokiri, the Gerudo tribe, and even the Twili, apparently... But there is a legend of a very special race, that once lived here; a tribe that came straight from the Heavens above us, the Azura."

Agitha, Blaine, Midna and Link listened intently, already very interested in Hio's tale. Tari looked up a moment, then continued to play with the butterflies and other various insects that seemed very attracted to her. The glowing gold of the fluttering bugs seemed to make her face glimmer in the evening darkness.

"Hmph," Kioshi said in disbelief. "That's just a bunch of-"

"_So anyway!_" Hio continued, interrupting Kioshi. "The Azura were a very unique race. Very special indeed. Most of them possessed magical powers, but one trait that every Azuran had... was a pair of large, beautiful wings. Almost like that of an angel, or even a giant, human-sized bird."

"_Wings?_" Agitha questioned, already on the edge of her seat. "They could _fly_?"

"Indeed they could," Hio replied. He then continued. "They were fascinating creatures. A normal Azuran at first glance would appear to look like a perfectly normal human. In fact, most other races confused them with Hylians. Until they saw their wings, that is. And not only did they have the ability to fly... but they had the ability to heal. It was, quite literally, in their blood. This made them excellent warriors, because once they were injured, they'd heal in almost no time at all."

"That's totally logical," Kioshi grumbled sarcastically.

"What else, Hio?" Agitha asked, getting rather impatient.

Hio laughed lightly. "You sure do love stories, don't you," he said to the small child. "Moving on. Like I mentioned moments ago... Their blood was what possessed those magical healing powers. If one consumes even the tiniest amount of the blood of an Azuran, their wounds will heal. If an Azuran were strong and skilled enough, he or she could harness the powers within their blood into actual healing magic. That, however, was rare."

"Hm..." Blaine uttered slowly, pondering this. "Blood, with healing powers? Very interesting."

"It saddens me to say this," Hio began, "but that's the reason why there are no more left to this day. The Azura were all hunted down, for their blood. It was said, that dark witches used their blood to make potions to resurrect the dead. Actually... Many, many years ago, before any of us were even born... As you may have heard, there was an evil ambiance swarming all throughout Hyrule, similar to what's happening right now. The Azura left their sacred place in the sky to help us in our time of need, but... They were hunted and destroyed. Not only was it to aid the 'dark side,' but... that very occurrence, was what completely wiped the Azura from existence."

Agitha gasped, her bright blue eyes wide with wonder. "Wow..." she whispered. "Who knew such creatures existed!"

"It's only a legend," Kioshi said. "Nothing but a little myth, a bed time story told to children who want entertainment."

"Come on, Kioshi," Hio said. "You can't tell me you don't believe in them at _least_ a little...?"

Kioshi sighed, and shoved him playfully, laughing.

Link glanced around at everybody for a moment. Hio and Agitha were trying to change Kioshi's mind about the myth. Midna had fallen asleep in Blaine's arms, and he began to play with her long, auburn hair gingerly. Tari sat there quietly, playing with a golden dragonfly that had landed on her finger.

"You seem rather quiet," Link said softly to his friend, suddenly worried something was the matter with her. "Did his story bore you, or something?"

Tari giggled in response. "Nah, it's just... I've heard it before. From... my father." She lifted her hand, and the dragonfly quickly flew away. "And like Kioshi said, it's only a myth."

"You sure nothing's bothering you?" Link asked. He instinctively brushed some of her golden red hair out of her face, the same way he did when he was cleaning the dried blood off of her the day they met. Realizing what he'd done, he jerked his hand back, and quickly averted his eyes.

"How about another good one?" Hio said happily.

"Please?" Agitha begged.

Tari ignored the others and looked over at Link. "I'm quite alright," she said, smiling. "Just, ya know... Tired."

"I know what you mean," Link replied rather humorously, trying to get rid of any awkwardness there might have been. "We've had a long couple of days."

"It's kind of nice to just relax for a little while," Tari said, inching closer to him. "Especially knowing we have such a long journey ahead of us."

"True..." Link uttered quietly, feeling somewhat warmer sitting next to her.

The group continued to listen as Hio began a story about how he once encountered a large fire-breathing dragon, and almost died. Kioshi was still accusing him of making everything up, to which Hio replied, "I'm just being a good entertainer."

As he listened to Hio's tale, Link felt something soft and warm against his shoulder. He noticed Tari had fallen asleep, resting her head against him. Blushing deeply, Link held his breath, trying not to move for fear of waking her. Or perhaps out of nervousness. After a few moments though, he smiled, realizing it felt kind of nice being this close to someone for a change.

"...and then he swung his gigantic, spiked tail, right at my face!"

"Oh, no!"

The night began to grow darker and cooler as Hio continued to entertain young Agitha. A cool breeze blew by, causing some of Link's blond hair to blow into his face. He brushed it back carefully, hoping not to wake Tari up with too much movement. He then noticed her begin to shiver, and without even thinking, wrapped his arm around her shoulders. _...What in the world am I doing?_ Link thought, feeling his face begin to turn red. For a split second he glanced down at Tari, who was sleeping soundly against his chest. _But... her company..._ _Might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?_


End file.
